(MELANIE: point of view)

"Hey! Daniel, no!" I ran over to where he stood. He was standing with his face only a few inches from the school bully. His hands were fists at his sides. I put my hands on his shoulder, pulling him away.

"Melanie." his voice was hard. "Let me fight my own fights." He was facing me now with an angry expression. "I don't need you to stand up for me every time I get in a mess!"

"Aw, your little girl friend wants to fight for you!" the bully said with a chuckle.

"SHE IS NOT MY GIRL FRIEND!" he shouted, turning to face Nathan.

"Daniel, just go home," I murmured. I looked down at my feet, my face red.

"Yeah, Daniel, just go home," mocked Nathan.

"Shut up," he muttered.

"Nathan, you are just a big coward!" I stepped in front of Nathan. "You spend all of your time being a jerk and frankly I don't understand why!"

"You don't see the fun in beating up stupid whimps?" he asked.

"He is not a wimp! If any one's the wimp it is you!" My fist connected with his face. He fell to the floor and blood began to trickle from his nose.

"What the...I'm bleeding!" He began to cry as he rose to his feet. He took off running.

"Why couldn't you just let me do that?" Daniel complained.

"Because," I said simply.

"You take the fun out of everything," he muttered.

"Oh come on, you can't say that wasn't fun," I laughed. "Anyway, we better leave before he comes back with his mom. That lady is scary!" I had look of mock terror on as we raced to Daniel's house.

I beat him of course, like always. We ran through the front door giggling and laughing. My mom was already here. When we came into the living room, both of their faces were very upset as Daniel's mom put the phone down.

"Darn it," I muttered.

"Hi mommy," Daniel said in a sugar coated tone.

"You know what to do." Was all she said. Of course we knew what to do. It wasn't like that was technically the first phone call like that she had recieved.

"You too Melanie," my mother said strictly.

I followed Daniel to the kitchen where too stools sat three feet apart; both facing the wall. I sat down in one as Daniel seated himself. We knew not to talk or make any gestures of any type of communication. Twenty minutes went by slowly before my mom came in to releaseme.

"Come on Melaine," My mother said firmly.

"Bye Daniel," I murmured.

"Bye, still best friends?" he asked with a bright smile.

"Still best friends," I laughed.