BEDAugust 11

Tomorrow I move apartments, hopefully it won't take forever and I'll blog at a decent hour, but don't expect too much.
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I emerge from the sewer having already decided to take the Bandit King to the temple. The way I figure I'm going to have a better chance of speaking to him there than if I let him be taken to jail. Milk stops me and hands me a blank piece of paper and an empty inkwell. He tells me the items belong to the Bandit King, who dropped them, and I don't doubt it. I add the items to my bag of holding which contains all the Bandit King's other items. Then Milk tries to tell me the blank piece of paper is important, that I seriously doubt. I keep it anyway though. I take the Bandit King to a windowless room in the temple, tell the priests and clerics he's claimed sanctuary, and leave him to regain consciousness.

As I walk into the church proper I see Zog lying on a bed. It turns out that the guard's bells were signaling that he'd been shot. Zog lives, but only just, and only because he's a powerful wizard. I briefly reconsider my idea to let the Bandit King live and wonder if I should just go back and slit his throat, but I stop myself, I don't slaughter people like that, and I want to give the half-elf a chance to speak for himself. I wander outside the temple to find out what happened to Archer and the others.

I ask a guard and he directs me to the jail. When I arrive I find one wall of the jail busted down and Dread Pirate Roberts, Kough, and Rouge facing off against Archer, who is locked in a cell. I ask what happened and Dread Pirate Roberts informs me they chased Archer out of the sewer and across town. Dread Pirate Roberts was able to dominate him and remove his weapons, armor, and items, then he took Archer to jail. Apparently that's when Rouge showed up and, not knowing Zog lived, went all crazy on the guards trying to get at and kill Archer. She was relentless and it took Kough bursting through a wall to make her calm down and see reason. She had just thrown one last brick when I arrive.

Shortly after I arrive Kough returns to the temple and Rouge goes off in search of Foxface. Dread Pirate Roberts remains in the jail, and for a second I think I glimpse Stealthlina in a servant outfit in the corner, but she's gone before I can confirm it. As it seems things are settled I head back to the temple to see if Bandit King is awake. I wish there is something I could do about Archer though, because I don't like the idea of him in jail.

The clerics at the temple inform me the Bandit King has awoken and is throwing a bit of a fit over being locked away and close to naked. They tell me that, per my instructions, no one has gone in to speak with him. I enter the room weaponless and lock the door behind me. We face off for a long moment before Bandit King says "we're from the same kingdom half-elf". I struggle to keep my bitter laughter from escaping at the idea that we are similar. I may have been born in that kingdom, but I wasn't raised in it and I certainly wasn't part of it. I save the melodramatic truths for later though and instead ask the Bandit King to explain himself.

The Bandit King says his name is Zin. He explains that a few years ago his entire family and villiage was descimated by a group of drow. He says after that there was nothing left for him, no noble pursuits and so he turned to stealing to make his livelihood. I ask him to rethink his ways, for I know elven warriors to be noble. Zin agrees to adventure with me on the condition that I return all of his stuff to him and free Archer (his brother Zan) with all his gear as well. In addition Zin wasn't to make enough money flows in to pay all his expenses, but then he'll stay the straight and narrow.

I feel like we've reached a decent bargain, and I agree to the terms. Before I leave to see about freeing Zan I ask Zin to look at the blank parchment. He says there are words written on it and it's signed by the mayor but none of it makes sense. It seems to indicate the mayor was in league with someone in our group who was a tracker, and he was plotting to steal the bowl. Zan claims to know nothing about the letter and I believe him. I begin to wonder about Milk's true loyalties. Then I head out to find Zan.
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BEDAugust 10

Hope you're enjoying the Dungeons and Dragon's Journal, cause it's gonna keep coming.
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The walk back to the city and the temple is a two day journey. As we set out Oog grabs a rabbit, when he releases the creature it moves very slowly but he speeds away. I rethink my initial evaluation of the half-orc, it seems that he doesn't require better weapons. I make a note to not underestimate him again. The first day and a half of our journey go smoothly but just as I begin to think we might make it unscathed the Bandit King appears to ruin everything.

Thirteen hill giants lumber out of the trees, already angry and on the attack. I know in an instant who is behind the attack, and rush into the trees looking for the Bandit King. I find more than I bargain for as an arrow shoots past me and buries itself deep into Milk's chest. Only Shallahai's quick action saves him from death. It seems that Archer (the captain of the first bandit group we encountered) wasn't as dead as we had hoped. I guess it makes a lot more sense that Bandit King returned for his body then. The two of them continue to flit from tree to tree, appearing and disappearing in a very frustrating way. I go back to fighting the hill giants, there will be time for killing bandits later.

Zog and Ariella launch spell after spell and Oog throws these strange exploding balls that make short work of most of the hill giants. I find myself even more impressed by the half-orc, and I plan to study and speak with him more when time allows. The remaining three giants fall easily to the rest of us, after all we've had experience. Bandit King and Archer however, flee as soon as the last giant falls. I try to catch them, but they move quicker than I do, and have an ability to disappear that I do not possess. From what I can see they headed towards the city so we continue on our way.

When we arrive the first thing we do is take the tub to the temple. The priests inform us it will take them a week to gather the ingredients and prayers necessary to heal Kough. They dismiss all charges against Stealthlina and pay a rather handsome sum to Dread Pirate Roberts, Milk, and Foxface for their help. When we exit the temple a town guard stops and informs us that the Mayor has been arrested for conspiracy against the church. It seems there is suspicion that he is working with the thieves guild and trying to steal the tub. I note that Milk vanishes while the guard is still speaking.

After the guard dismisses us we split and go our separate ways. I spend my time asking the locals if anyone has seen Archer or Bandit King. I notice that Milk is hanging at the tavern, Foxface and Shallahai seem to have set up a camp in an alley, Garr returns to the temple to guard the bowl, Pixie, Rouge, and Zog go off in search of some other wizard, Dread Pirate Roberts downright disappears, and Lily and Stealthlina head off towards the jail. Not long after they leave I hear the howling of a wolf and hope they're not getting themselves into more trouble considering we just got them out of it. My search seems fruitless, and I begin to think that perhaps Bandit King and Archer didn't come here after all when the guards sound the alarm bells.

The bells draw me to the square outside the marketplace. There I find Dread Pirate Roberts, Rouge, and Pixie already gathered. In the center of the square Oog lies dead with a very familiar arrow sprouting from his next. I immediately search the surroundings for Archer, and when I catch a glimpse of his black bandanna on a nearby roof I take off running without a second thought. I manage to track him for a few blocks, but lose the trail in a back alley that doesn't seem to have any exits. When I return to the square Dread Pirate Roberts is ranting about how the bandits are after us and are trying to pick us off one by one. He believes Ariella is the next target and tries to convince everyone to go to the temple and protect her. I point out that if everyone is gathered around her she won't be as much of a target. Dread Pirate Roberts agrees, and the decision is made we all need to gather together.

Since it seems Milk has no interest in leaving the tavern we gather there. Garr and Zog both refuse to come, they have other obligations. I'm not the biggest fan of this idea, because any attack will likely result in a huge fight, and I'm not keen on the idea of being banned from drinking in the best tavern. Luckily Rouge has the idea of heading to the roof and as soon as we step on it arrows fly our way. I have Archer in my sights now and there's no way I'm letting him go this time. Without explaining to anyone what I've seen I take off running. I track Archer through the jail, ignoring the protests of the guards, through a series of back alleys, finding a discarded thunderstone, and finally catch a glimpse of him disappearing into the sewers. The guards alarm bells are ringing again, but I don't care to find out why. I barrel down the alley and drop into the sewer.

I hit the sewer floor running and after a few seconds hear Dread Pirate Roberts, Ariella, and Rouge drop in behind me. The Bandit King springs from one of the dark corners, but I'm ready for him. He barely has time to get in a single blow before I reduce him to unconsciousness. When he drops I hear a soft cry and see Archer watching from down the tunnel. He shoots an arrow but misses me wildly, then he turns and runs. I debate chasing after him, but Ariella, Rouge, and Dread Pirate Roberts take off immediately, and I figure they can handle it. I turn my attention back to the unconscious Bandit King. I strip him of his weapons and as I remove his armor and clothing (to make sure he has no magical items), I notice a tattoo on his left forearm.

It's a tattoo I recognize from my childhood, the mark of an elven warrior. A quick check of his other arm and head reveals he's a half-elf, for true elven warriors bear a tattoo on both arms. A memory comes back to me of elven maidens that were stolen away and returned with half-elf children. I remember that the King accepted this children and let them become lesser warriors, Bandit King must be one of these children. I wrack my brain but I can't remember who took the elven maidens. As I stare at the tattoo my mind spins. I had planned to kill Bandit King, but the elven warriors are a noble group. Even the half-elves would have stood for justice, and I can't believe one of them is now a murdering Bandit King. I find that I can't simply kill him, not a half-elf of my mother's kingdom, not someone who used to be a noble warrior. I have to get answers.

I strip him of the rest of his armor and leave only enough clothes to make him decent. Then I throw the unconscious body over my shoulder and head out of the sewer.

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BEDAugust 9

More Dungeons and Dragons story!
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The eggs make me hesitate for a moment, but as the dragon continues to feast on it's fallen enemy I figure why not just try to walk across the room. As I creep around the room towards the large doors the dragons stops it's feasting. It doesn't make a move though, so I continue moving across the room. I make sure to keep far from the eggs as I can and manage to make it to the door. Milk and the Dread Pirate Roberts also begin to cross the room, but they get closer to the eggs than I want them too. Shallahai looks at the eggs and says they seem to be petrified and dead.

The dragon continues to watch me, and it gives me the creeps. It seems to exude death. It smells of death and looks like death and as it stares at me I can feel death creeping up behind me. It reminds me of the way Dread Pirate Roberts sometimes smells when he lets his guard down. Just when I'm deciding to turn around Pixie and the Dread Pirate Roberts start speaking to the dragon. The say the dragon claims the treasure is locked and it's hers. Dread Pirate Roberts converses with the dragon at length, and they even speak in something that isn't Draconic, something older. As they talk I figure I might as well make my way all the way to the door. I get to the door and easily unlock it.

That gets the dragon's attention. Before I can even blink it has swung around and bent down so it's head hovers inches from my face. I imagine that someone who was afraid of death would have been shaken by that, but I was raised a warrior and I just found out my father is a Demon Prince, it takes more than a dragon to scare me. I face the dragon and push the treasure room door open with my foot. I don't speak draconic but I raise a large bag of gold and figure my message is clear enough.

The dragon speaks, and I find myself able to understand, although I don't speak Draconic. The dragon says her name is Tzevokalas. She says that if I add the jeweled gold scimitars I acquired then I'm free to take what I like. I have no attachment to the scimitars, so I agree. I drop my gold and the scimitars and Pixie and I waltz into the vault. The room is filled to the brim with treasure, but I know better than to touch anything other than the healing tub. The crystal tub is easily recognizable, and Pixie shrinks it so we can easily carry it away.

As we leave Tzevokalas thanks us for the trade and promises she won't attack us...until we leave the dwarven city. It's nice of her to give us such a head start. We leave the city slower than we entered, hoping the delay would perhaps make the dragon forget about us and return to devouring the red dragon's corpse. As we exit the city a large shadow passes over the moon, it seems the dragon hasn't forgotten us after all. Shortly after that we realize the horses are gone, which makes outrunning the dragon seem almost impossible. Luckily she doesn't seem interesting in attacking us.

After a LONG, hot, and boring walk back to Zog's tower Garr decides perhaps we need an escort to get the tub back to the temple and Kough. Garr hires an orc shaman named Oog, who is strangely weaponless, carrying just two kukri shaped sticks and a dagger. Pixie, Rouge, and the Dread Pirate Roberts all go speak to Zog. The Dread Pirate Roberts speaks to him alone, which is strange as they don't know each other. I have no interest in an escort, but I was curious to know if they were still have trouble with the bandit king. I go to find the captain of the guard, only to learn that he was killed a few days ago outside of the Wailing Griffin.

I let the others do as they please and go to the tavern to see if anyone knows anything. The barmaid says she remembers someone matching the Bandit King's description. She tells me he didn't order a single drink but simply sat in the tavern and spoke with a gorgeous blonde wizard (her words not mine). She says the Bandit King stayed the night the evening the captain was killed but left early the next morning, before she'd even set out breakfast. She even helpfully points out the wizard the Bandit King spoke to. I recognize him as Russel. Garr spoke to him earlier about being a member of our guard but was suspicious about him being evil and turned him down in the end.

I sit down across from Russel, prepared to question him. Imagine my surprise when he calls me Riley. Very few things startle me, but a complete stranger knowing a name I share with no one will do it. I momentarily forget that I'm there to ask him about the Bandit King as he tells me he knows who I am. Russel explains he knows my father Pireal. He says Pireal is a high level Demon Prince and rules a lust level of the abyss. He also casually mentions that Pireal has another child, a boy named Raven. I have a brother. Eventually I remember my mission and Russel informs me that the Bandit King was simply looking for his weapons.

I leave the tavern with many thoughts racing through my head. I have my father's name now, and more than that I have a sibling. A whole new world has opened up to me, one where I might have family again. I'm still in a daze as we head out with Zog and Oog. I'm happy for the two day walk, as it will give me time to think about what I've discovered.
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Until tomorrow.

BEDAugust 8

In case you forgot between yesterday and today I'm simply catching up on my Dungeons and Dragons campaign journal. Enjoy.

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I figure there's no point in turning back now, so I begin to march over the next bridge towards the stalactite. Death is coming for everyone, and I might as well meet it in the jaws of a dragon. It would make a better story. I don't bother to hide my approach, the dragon likely already knows I'm there anyway. Everyone trails behind me, I'm not sure if they want to come, but I've discovered that when I make the decision to go the rest of the party often follows. I imagine it's because I carry the biggest weapon. As we're walking Rouge trips over something and hits the ground hard, sending and echo through the cavern.

A low buzzing starts up somewhere in the cavern, and I ready my great axe, figuring whatever it is will be coming for us. The buzzing gets louder and louder and a large black cloud begins moving towards us. As the cloud gets closer we can discern that the cloud is made up of black reptilian insects which Shallahai identifies immediately as stirges. The stirges surround us and we begin to hack and slash our way through them. There numbers seem almost endless, and I'm not entirely sure we're going to get any farther, certainly not this way. That's when Ariella decided to take matters into her own hands. She launches a series of fireballs that take out the majority of the stirges. Of course she also hits Garr and the Dread Pirate Roberts, but seeing as the other option was getting devoured by reptilian insects neither of them seem to mind. We make short work of the remaining creatures and continue across the bridge.

Even before we reach the stalactite I can smell the metallic scent of blood. The air is thick with it, and it's not blood newly spilt, it's the scent of old blood, the blood of the long dead. The scent only gets stronger as we enter the stalactite and make our way up the stairs towards the flickering fire. At the top of the stairs is a large open room, like a cathedral, and sprawled across the flood is the body of a giant red dragon. The dragon has been dead for awhile, and blood pools around it. There are more stirges covering the body and the blood pools. They are feasting on the creature and drinking the blood.

As we enter the room I feel a strange sadness to see such a magnificent creature of fire lying dead and decaying. That's when I notice that the carcass is moving, as if there is something feasting on it from the inside. I move boldly closer, ready to face more stirges, but what raises from the red dragon's body is not a stirge. A large snakelike dragon with scales of black pearl raises it's head and stares me down. The Dread Pirate Roberts speaks to it in a language I vaguely recognize as draconic. I wonder at him knowing such a language, and make a note to look into him a bit more later. The dragon, however, isn't as interested and merely returns to devouring the carcass.

With the dragon intent on it's meal I take a better look around the room. Across the way I can see a large door, which I recognize as leading to the treasure room. I know I must get to it if our mission is to be completed and Kough healed. I search the room for anything that could prove useful and that's when I noticed them. Tucked behind the carcass of the red dragon, a nest of black pearl dragon eggs. Well shit.
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 Until tomorrow. 

BEDAugust 7

So...I've been failing at this, but I HAVE been writing my Dungeons and Dragons journal. I've been debating about going back and writing my old Tuesday's to make sure I'm caught up with the journal or to just write the next journal entry here and maybe write two or three a week to catch up. The first choice means making a back log that you won't read, but I'll have on the correct date. The second option makes sure I have things to write, but results in me being weeks behind...actually, a third option has just occurred to me. I could always just write the next one today and dedicated this entire next week to Dungeons and Dragons journals, which should get me caught up by next week. In fact, that's what I'm going to do, decision made. Prepare for a week of Riley's adventures!

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When the morning finally dawns I'm ready and waiting for the rest of the party. I left the inn early, couldn't sleep anyway, and gathered the promised horses. Zog even laid a spell allowing the horses to move much faster and easier over the terrain we must travel. Eventually everyone else stumbles from their beds and we are able to set a course for the mountains.

Eight eerily uneventful hours later we arrive at the foothills of the mountains. Set in the mountainside is a huge set of oaken doors, sturdy and spelled shut. The first thing that crosses my mind is no dwarf would ever need a door that big, they're just show offs. Of course standing in front of the door is a twelve foot tall stone statue of a dwarf who would absolutely need a door that size. Flanking him are regular sized dwarf statues. Each of the statues sports a line of dwarven runes, and knowing dwarves it's some sort of riddle or spell we have to solve. Garr, Foxface, and the Dread Pirate Roberts start investigating the large statue and determine that the runes say "Speak My Name and Enter." Then they begin looking at the runes on the smaller statues for clues. I get bored and start sharpening my axe, I don't speak dwarven, they can sort it out.

As I work I think about arena fighting and the possible monsters we might encounter inside the dwarven city. I'm excited to wield my axe against some solid enemies, to do some good, to get my mind off the fact that my father is a chaos born Demon Prince. I'm so lost in my own thoughts I don't even notice the group has decided to speak a name, until the giant statue stirs.

"A dwarf must speak for you." The stone figure rumbles moving to fully block the door and looking down on the party. I wait for someone to say "oh well, we tried" but everyone seems intent on finishing the quest. Ariella is the one who comes up with a plan. She casts the illusion of a dwarf around Milk's body, allowing him to speak for us. The statue apparently doesn't have enough intelligence to discern and illusion because it simply pushes aside the door and bids us to enter. I notice Rouge and Foxface hang back, but as they catch up shortly after we walk through the door I don't think twice about it. I glance back as the doors shut and see the statue return to it's normal posistion.

The hall we walk in is vast, obviously an entryway of some sort. The stone is worked smooth and the vaulted ceiling is held up by row after row of columns. The place is beautiful, but it gives me the creeps. This is supposed to be a dwarven city, yet there are no signs of life or death. The place is silent, deserted, and just a bit dusty. I go with my gut and begin watching for signs of death or a struggle. That's how I notice the claw marks. Caked with dust they line the floor and some of the columns, like the creature was dragging itself along. I study them and come to the decision that this creature has two three toed feet, making it most likely a dragon. I'd been carrying my axe casually, like I always do, but after I identify the marks I switch to attack mode. I voice my concerns to the rest of the party and Shallahai determines the claw marks are from a male red dragon and are likely about a month old. My senses are on high alert, but I don't bother trying to be sneaky, if there is a dragon it will already know we are here.

Eventually the hallway ends and I see that it was simply and entryway. It opens up to a huge cavern, which appears to be an entire hollowed out mountain. Around the sides of the cavern are other entryways and carved doorways and terraces. A series of stone bridges connects the sides of the cavern to a gigantic stalactite that is hanging from the cavern's roof. The stalactite is vast and covered in doors and windows. It seems likely it was the town center, the temple or city hall. The view of it takes my breath away, but what really makes my heart beat isn't the cavern, it's the flames I can seee flickering from the stalactites doors and windows.
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Until tomorrow.

BEDAugust 6

All I want to do is go to sleep. It's been a REALLY long day and I have an equally long day ahead of me. Yet, instead of drifting happily off to dreamland I'm here, writing words. Why, you ask? Why do I subject myself to such torture? Because I vowed to do BEDA, and I don't give up on my goals very easily.

It's funny, cause earlier today I had a great idea for this miscellaneous Monday, but whatever that idea was has completely slipped from my mind. It's probably off playing with all the ideas I had for those stories I never bothered to finish. They're all having a jolly time running around and laughing at my idea-less existence. If only I could wrangle them up and put them to work. I imagine this blog would be much more interesting for everyone involved if I could do that. Of course I can't, so I'm going to settle for some simple blogging instead.

Today I went to Universal with Amber and Lauren. It was an interesting experience for me. As I walked around with them I realized how commonplace the entire resort had become to me. I knew where to go without looking, I could avoid the crowds instinctively, and I knew what rides to hit when to make sure we could get as much done as possible. I also noticed that I didn't pay as much attention to the little things anymore. I didn't read the things in line like I used to, been there, done that. I also got frustrated by 30 minute waits, being there in slow season spoiled me. Seeing it through their eyes reminded me of all of the things I'd forgotten were so amazing. I was able to recapture a bit of that wonder.

I started to think about why I'd lost it in the first place. It wasn't like I was tired of the park, I still choose to go there on my days off. I didn't think any of it was dumb or boring, it was just...home. It's like how you never notice the things on the shelves in your house cause they've always been there. Sure, they mean something to you, but you don't study them and think about those things everyday. That's how I feel about Universal. The park is wonderful and it means something to me, but in the day to day I don't pay too much attention to what's on the shelf. I use the shelf for the things I need and move on. I live there, it's home, and nothing about home is terribly exciting.

For Amber and Lauren, however, everything was new. The park was filled with shiny objects and they were excited to explore every single one. The knick knacks that had been sitting on my shelf forever (metaphorically speaking) where sparkling and new and exciting to them. The best part is that the excitement is contageous. Once they got excited I would also get excited. I let their energy feed me until I could pretend that I was experiencing everything for the first time as well. With that attitude a fun day in the park became and amazing day with friends.

Until tomorrow.

BEDAugust 5

It's day five of BEDA/VEDA and I've already fallen into a routine. I film, edit, and post my videos in the morning, then I go to work, then I come home and write a blog. It's not the best plan (partially cause of the lack of sleep that results), but it's working for me so far, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it. So I'll just throw out some flash fiction.

Today's piece is based off of this Figment Daily Theme  
Write a story in which a false rumor spreads about a character. While the speculation isn't flattering to this person, he or she decides to embrace the story anyway and to pretend that it's true. 

"Yep, it's all true." Melody spoke casually and Annie's mouth dropped open.

"Seriously? All of it?" Annie and the other girls gathered in the locker room shared surprised looks.

"Every single word." Melody shrugged, pretending as if it was nothing.

"You mean to tell me..." Bethany began.

"I spent the summer in rehab. I was an alcoholic, and I got so trashed at a field hockey party that I slept with Andy the water boy, made out with Hannah the team captain, and jumped off the roof, breaking my arm. All true." Melody relayed the list of transgressions like a robot, having memorized them just this morning.

"I heard that you even got drunk at rehab and they had to lock you in solitary." Candace almost whispered. Melody blinked in surprise, that was a new one, and shrugged.

"Not really worth mentioning, but also true." Melody made a mental note to add solitary to the notebook. She turned back to the sink to finish pulling up her hair, hoping the other girls would move on. She watched in the mirror as they whispered to each other, comparing rumors and stories. She saw Diane open her mouth to speak, but the bell rang. The girls immediately stopped speaking and left.

Melody lingered in the bathroom for a few moments. She had five minutes to make it to homeroom across the hall, and Mr. Frost wouldn't care if she was late anyway. Melody pulled the notebook from her bag and added "drunk at rehab and locked in solitary-Candace" to the growing list of things she'd been up to this summer. The truth was she'd spent it in California with her aunt and uncle, looking at colleges, playing with her cousins, reading, and writing in the sun.

She had been to that field hockey party, it was the last thing she'd done before flying out to Cali, but she hadn't even had so much as a beer. There had been no drunken sex, making out with girls, or jumping from roofs, or rehab. There hadn't even been a broken arm. Yet, when Melody had arrived back at school last week the whispers had been hard to ignore. People kept looking at her with a mix of awe and disgust. Her friends stated asking questions and it didn't take long for Melody to piece it all together. That's when she made the list.

When she figured she had a good enough grasp on everything she supposedly did this summer, she started hinting that it was all true. Conveniently, Andy had graduated and moved to New York for college, Hannah was well known for kissing girls and had been so drunk at the party she remembered nothing, and everyone who was there that night seemed to remember someone jumping off the roof. Melody remembered Keith and Michael tossing off a blow up doll. It was shocking how easily even her friends started to believe it was true. They somehow found it easier to accept that her stories of going to Cali were a cover up for rehab than that rehab was just a rumor. Melody was hurt by this at first, that her friends could think so little of her, but she rapidly realized that it didn't really matter anyway.

Melody embraced the lies and even started embellishing on the original rumor. Every time someone added a new tidbit she accepted it and molded it into the story of her summer. She begged her parents not to say anything, and even took the pictures of her summer in California off Facebook, pretending they had been fakes anyway. She slowly came to realize that people were more amazed by this tale than disturbed by it. They asked her what it was like, and everyone wanted to hear her harrowing tale of struggling with alcoholism and coming back from the edge. They ate up the idea of a rehab romance and soon Melody was the girl who survived so much, rather than the girl who partied to hard she had started the year as.

It was almost two months into the school year when Melody finally figured out who had started the first awful rumors about her. Melody had been standing at her locker when Amanda came over with her little entourage. Amanda had disliked Melody from the moment Melody took over as editor for the school newspaper, and their rivalry had only grown.

"I know you didn't go to rehab this summer." Amanda said.

"Really? What makes you think that? I remember it very clearly, do you know something I don't?" Melody raised her voice, admittedly trying to draw attention.

"You know exactly what I mean." Amanda insisted, paying close attention to the eyes watching them argue. "You didn't do any of those things you say you did."

"Well, I'll admit I wasn't planning to tell anyone." Melody said, "But when I got to school everyone seemed to already know, so their wasn't any point in denying it."

A large crowd had gathered to watch by now, and Melody smiled, knowing Amanda was stuck. She would either have to admit she made up the stories, and ruin her reputation, or pretend they were true and let Melody reap the benefits of her knew fame. Melody enjoyed watching the emotions play across Amanda's face while she made her decision. Melody saw a flash of anger that might have scared her once, but that old Melody hadn't been through rehab.

"I heard you sucked off one of the orderlies to get him to bring you booze." Amanda said finally, her eyes triumphant, figuring Melody wouldn't own up to that. Melody looked at the floor.

"I was sick and desperate," she said quietly, but still loud enough for the crowd to hear, "I'm not proud of what I did, but there's no point in lying about it." Melody heard the crowd gasp as one.

"She's so brave. I can't believe she went through all that. Melody is such a role model. She's gone through so much. I feel bad for her. I'm going to stop drinking too." The crowd whispered back and forth. Melody watched as Amanda's face grew redder and redder, but she didn't open her mouth. Instead, she slammed her locker, turned on her heel and marched away.

"Score one for the little guy." Melody whispered as she watched Amanda disappear down the hall.

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Let me know what you thought of the story. Until tomorrow.