Fabulous Five 002 - The Trouble with Flirting Page 7

  "Me, too," Melanie said absently as she gazed around the lunchroom looking for Scott or Shane. She had made up her mind to be honest. To confess to Shane that she wouldn't be able to dance with him to all the good songs because she would be going to the party with Scott.

  "You guys think you're nervous," said Jana. "I can't even eat my cream cheese and jelly sandwich. Not only is tomorrow cheerleading tryouts, but it's the day Mr. Neal announces who will be editors of The Wigwam. I really want seventh-grade coeditor badly, and so does Funny. And I also want to be a cheerleader."

  "We're going to practice after school today, aren't we?" asked Beth. "I mean, we desperately need the practice."

  Melanie nodded. She still hadn't been able to spot either of the boys. If only Shane would come in now, before Scott. She would die if he saw her talking to Shane and got jealous.

  "Well, I hope we aren't going back to the stadium," said Jana. "Can we go to your house today, Melanie?"

  Melanie nodded again just as Sara came up off the bench. "You guys practiced at the stadium?" she shrieked. "Wow! That's cool! Why don't we all go there today and practice together?"

  Melanie was just about to tell them about her klutzy fall in front of the entire Wakeman football team, Coach Bledsoe, and Garrett Boldt when she saw Shane coming through the swinging doors. Now was her chance. She had to grab it before she lost her nerve.

  "I'll be back in a minute," she said. She didn't even wait for an answer from her friends as she bounded toward the hot-lunch line. Shane had just gotten to the end of the line, and if she hurried, she could step up behind him.

  "Oh, Melanie. I need to talk to you." Laura McCall got up from a table and stepped into Melanie's path. "I need to know if any of you girls from The Fabulous Five are coming to my party. You said you would let me know as soon as you talked to your mommies and daddies."

  Melanie caught the sarcasm. She knew that Laura loved to rub it in that she never had to ask her father permission to do anything the way other kids did. She wanted to tell Laura that she wouldn't be caught dead coming to her party, but of course that wasn't the truth. In fact, it was practically the opposite. She would die if she didn't get to go.

  "Sorry," she mumbled. "We'll be there. Seven o'clock. Right?"

  "Right," said Laura, flicking her long braid over her shoulder. "Please be on time."

  By the time Laura sat down again, Shane was almost to the steam tables, and at least a dozen kids had gotten in line behind him. Melanie chewed on her lip and thought about the situation. If she didn't dance with Shane at the party, maybe he would dance with Laura—to all the good songs—the ones he had asked her to dance to. I need to think about this some more, Melanie decided. I'm going to be honest. I swear I am. But not right now.

  She saw Shane twice more in the halls during the afternoon, but she still put off talking to him. Instead she thought about Garrett, rehearsing how she would be honest with him, too. She would simply explain that she did not have long blond hair and that she was not whom he thought she was. She wasn't Taffy Sinclair. Still, every time Melanie caught sight of Taffy and thought about Garrett's taking her home and maybe even kissing her good-night, she got an ache in the pit of her stomach.

  Alexis, Sara, Beth, and Jana came home with Melanie after school to practice cheers in her family room. She tried hard to keep her mind on cheering. After all, tryouts were tomorrow, but she just could not pay attention, and she always seemed to be one beat behind everyone else.

  Once, after the others had landed from a jump before she even left the floor, Jana gave her a sympathetic look and whispered, "What's the matter, Mel? Are you still worrying about your boy troubles?"

  Melanie nodded.

  "Come on," Jana urged. "Tryouts are tomorrow. Then you still have another whole day until the party. Things will work out by Saturday night. I know they will."

  Easy for you to say, Melanie thought. But still, Jana was right about one thing. She still had Friday and most of Saturday to be honest with Shane and Garrett, and just knowing that Jana was sympathetic made her feel so much better that she finished practice with the best cheering she had ever done.

  A few times during the evening she made up her mind to go to the phone and call both of the boys, but each time she touched the receiver, she lost her nerve. I'll talk to them at school tomorrow when I can do it face-to-face, she thought, but deep down she knew that it would not be any easier.

  The next morning Melanie tried not to look at the spot by the school fence where she had waited for all three boys just two days ago. There's no use waiting there today, she assured herself. They've probably already gone by. Besides, she had to be careful to talk to Shane and Garrett without being seen by Scott.

  "Hey, Melody!" a voice shouted behind her.

  Melanie froze. It was Shane. She would have to do it now. She couldn't get out of it. Slowly she turned to face him, forcing the corners of her mouth into a smile.

  "It's Melanie," she said barely above a whisper.

  "Oh . . . yeah," he said slowly. "I keep forgetting." Then a smile broke over his face and his eyes began to twinkle so brightly that Melanie knew he was teasing again.

  She could almost feel her heart breaking. Shane was so gorgeous and so special. So special, she reminded herself, that she had to be honest with him.

  "About dancing all the good songs with you at Laura's party . . ." she began.

  Shane cocked his head and smiled softly. "You can only dance some of them with me because Scott Daly is taking you to the party."

  She gasped. "Flow did you know?"

  "Hey! Scott's my good buddy," he said with a laugh. "We're teammates, remember? I know he's taking you to Laura's, and he knows that I want to dance with you. And do you know what he said to that?" His expression became serious.

  Melanie gulped. "No. What?"

  Laughing again, Shane said, "He said okay, but not too many dances."

  Melanie laughed, too, and she felt almost giddy with relief. As she left Shane and walked on to school a few minutes later, she couldn't help wishing that she could talk to Garrett right then. Quickly. Before the glow from talking to Shane and the good feeling that he hadn't been angry with her had time to wear off.

  She wondered later if Garrett had read her mind, because she had no sooner reached the school ground and headed toward The Fabulous Five's special corner of the fence when she saw him coming toward her. He was smiling and waving photographs in his left hand.

  "Hi, Melanie. I made these for you last night just as I promised," he said.

  She started to reach for the pictures, but her hand stopped in midair. He had called her Melanie! But that was impossible. He thought she was Taffy Sinclair!

  "You know who I am?" she asked as soon as she could find her voice.

  Garrett nodded. "I was showing the pictures to the football team. They said that you were Melanie Edwards and that the blonde in your class is Taffy Sinclair. You know, I was beginning to suspect that something was funny," he added with a puzzled frown. "I would talk to you about something, and then when I mentioned it to Taffy at school the next day, she would act as if she had never heard it before."

  Melanie thought she would die. Panic almost choked off her breath. "I didn't know at first that you had us mixed up," she insisted. "Not until a couple of days ago when you said something about my long blond hair. I didn't know what to say . . ." Her voice trailed off. "So I didn't say anything. Not even when you asked to take me home."

  She didn't dare look at Garrett. She had to get it all out before she lost her nerve or fainted or something. "I know you probably think I'm horrible for saving yes. And I'm really sorry, but you won't have to take me home after all."

  "I still want to take you home," he said.

  Startled, Melanie looked up. Garrett was smiling, and his dimple was even bigger than usual.

  "You do?" she asked incredulously.

  "Sure. Taffy Sinclair is pretty, but it was you I liked talking to on th
e phone. Honest! Like I said before, at first I couldn't figure out why she seemed so different in person. Then when I found out who the real Melanie Edwards was, I knew who I really liked." Then he grinned sheepishly and added, "And now that you've been so honest about the mixup, I like you even better."

  Part of her wanted to jump up and down for joy, but the other part nagged at her that she hadn't been totally honest yet.

  "I like you, too," she said. "But I really can't let you take me home. You see, I'm going to the party with Scott Daly, and it wouldn't be fair not to let him take me home."

  "That's okay. I understand," said Garrett. "Things really did get mixed up, didn't they? But you aren't going steady with Scott, are you?"

  Melanie's heart fluttered. "No," she said.

  "Then maybe sometime we can go to Bumpers for a soda together."

  "Terrific!" she said, and she couldn't control the grin on her face as they parted. Being honest had never felt so super! But that wasn't all. Even though it was great to be liked for her looks, it was even better to be liked for the kind of person she was.

  CHAPTER 15

  Melanie had never been so nervous in her life. Before Jana, Beth, and she went into the gym for cheerleader tryouts, Christie and Katie gave them big hugs. Now the three of them were clustered near the doorway, nervously rehearsing cheers in their minds and watching other seventh-graders file in.

  "This is it!" said Beth, dancing around on tiptoes.

  "I'm really worried," confessed Jana. "I just can't seem to get some of the routines down. Plus, Mr. Neal is posting the list of yearbook editors right this minute, and I won't be able to find out if I made it until after tryouts."

  Even though Melanie felt better about Shane and Garrett and had been congratulated by all of her friends for her honesty, she couldn't help wishing she had practiced the cheers a little bit harder. "At least I won't be first," she mumbled.

  "E-gad!" shrieked Beth. "I might be. Barry. That's near the front of the alphabet." Beth scanned the growing crowd in the gym. "Oh, good. I forgot all about Dekeisha Adams," she said, pointing to a tall black girl talking to friends on the other side of the room.

  Just then Miss Wolfe entered, and everyone got quiet.

  "Good afternoon, ladies. Ve vill begin the tryouts in just one moment." Then she instructed them to line up in alphabetical order in front of the bleachers and to come forward one at a time, introducing themselves and then doing their favorite cheer from the sheets she had passed out. Across the room at a long table sat four judges: Miss Zimmerman, the music teacher; Mrs. Strizak, the gymnastics coach from the Y; and two varsity cheerleaders, ninth-grader Kaci Davis and eighth-grader Colby Graham.

  After everyone was lined up, Miss Wolfe sat down in the fifth judge's chair. "Ve are now ready to begin," she said, nodding to Dekeisha Adams.

  The next few minutes were a blur as Melanie waited for her turn to come. Her heart was pounding so loudly she could barely hear the other contestants' cheers. But she could see that Dekeisha was fantastic, and so was Beth. Heather Clark was good, and Alexis, and the next thing she knew it was her turn.

  Melanie sprang to the center of the floor and introduced herself to the judges. Then she took a deep breath and got into position for her cheer. She had chosen the same one she had yelled in her dream, that fantastic dream where she had inspired the team to victory and the crowd had chanted her name in thanks.

  "Got the spirit? Let's hear it!" she screamed. "Give me a W!"

  Silence. For an instant she was stunned. Then suddenly she realized why. This was tryouts. There was no crowd to return her cry. Closing her eyes quickly, she pictured the crowd and heard them scream "W" back to her.

  "Give me an A!" she yelled. Again, her make-believe audience responded. By the time she had spelled out W-A-K-E-M-A-N W-A-R-R-I-O-R-S and finished with a double somersault, her imaginary crowd was on its feet roaring.

  Melanie opened her eyes. The judges were all smiling, and she raced back to her place in line on legs that were almost crumpling beneath her from relief.

  She tried to watch the rest of the girls go through their routines. Melinda Thaler tripped going onto the floor, and Jana forgot her routine halfway through and had to start over, but most of the girls were good. Taffy Sinclair was prissy, as usual, but Melanie could tell that the judges liked her. It was obvious that they liked Laura McCall and Tammy Lucero, too.

  After everyone had finished, Melanie fidgeted as the judges marked their score sheets. There were only eight positions on the squad. She would die if she didn't get one of them.

  Finally Miss Wolfe stood, picking up a piece of paper and holding up her hand for silence. "Here are the names of the seventh-grade girls who will form the junior varsity cheerleading squad. Dekeisha Adams, Beth Barry, Alexis Duvall, Melanie Edwards, Tammy Lucero, Laura McCall, Mandy McDermott, and Taffy Sinclair. Congratulations, girls, and thank you to everyone else who tried out."

  Melanie was so excited that she thought she would burst. She began jumping up and down and shrieking with the other seven girls who had made the squad. It wasn't until she and Beth were jumping and giggling together that a terrible thought hit her. It must have struck Beth at the same instant because both girls froze and stared at each other.

  "Jana," whispered Melanie.

  "She didn't make it," said Beth. "Where is she?"

  They looked first among the crowd of sad-faced girls who were leaving the gym, but Jana wasn't among them. She wasn't in the middle of the winners and friends who were congratulating them, either.

  "Oh, my gosh," said Melanie. "Where could she be? I feel terrible."

  "So do I," said Beth. "I was so excited about making the squad that I completely forgot about her. I'll bet she's crushed. She wanted to make cheerleader as much as we did. I hope she didn't think we deserted her and then went away somewhere to cry." Just then Melanie noticed someone trying to push her way into the gym through the crowd that was leaving. "Look!" she cried. "It's Jana. And she's smiling!"

  "I made it! I made it!" Jana cried as she rushed toward them, her face aglow. "And so did Funny Hawthorne. We're going to be seventh-grade coeditors of the yearbook."

  "Wow! That's great," said Melanie. "We couldn't find you, and we were worried."

  "Sorry," said Jana. "And congratulations to you guys for making the squad. When I found out I didn't, I just had to duck out and check The Wigwam staff. You know," she added thoughtfully, "it's a good thing I'm not going to be a cheerleader. Yearbook is going to take up a lot of time."

  Laughing, Melanie grabbed her two friends' arms and together they skipped out of the gym.

  CHAPTER 16

  This was it. Laura McCall's party. Melanie stood in front of her mirror surveying herself. She had tried on everything in her closet before choosing her best white jeans and a turquoise sweater that set off her burnished hair. What would Laura wear? Something terrific, probably. And how would she treat The Fabulous Five? At least there would be lots of kids there. Maybe they could just blend in.

  Mr. Daly dropped off Melanie and Scott at the apartment building where Laura lived. It was easy to find Laura's apartment. The door to #7 was wide open and music was coming from inside. Melanie shivered nervously until she noticed other kids entering the building behind them.

  Just as they walked through the door, a tall, handsome man with blond hair stepped up and stuck out his hand. "Hi, there," he said. "I'm Laura's father. It looks as if I got home from Atlanta just in time for a party."

  Melanie pretended to cough to hide a giggle while Scott shook Mr. McCall's hand. So this party is going to be chaperoned after all, she thought with a smile.

  The living room was crowded with kids and more were pouring in the door all the time. She knew practically everyone there: most of the cheerleading squad, a few eighth-graders, and even a couple of kids from Copper Beach in addition to Riverfield and Mark Twain kids.

  Laura was standing in one corner with Tammy and Melissa, looking fru
strated and shooting poison-dart looks at the back of her father's head. It was obvious that she had primped extra hard for this party because she looked gorgeous in a pale blue jumpsuit. Jana and Randy were nearby, talking to Funny. Probably about the yearbook, thought Melanie. So far, so good. Maybe this party would be all right, after all.

  She was watching for Shane and Garrett, but neither of them had arrived yet. Scott brought her a soda just as Beth, Christie, and Katie popped in the door together and waved in their direction.

  As Melanie raised her hand to wave back to her friends, Taffy Sinclair stepped into the room wearing a pale blue jumpsuit that was identical to the one Laura wore. She had probably meant to make a grand entrance, but a few girls gasped, and everyone else got quiet as Taffy and Laura stared in horror at each other. Neither girl moved a hair as anger gleamed in their eyes.

  "Hey!" shouted Curtis Trowbridge. "Twins!"

  That broke the tension for everyone except Taffy and Laura. Melanie watched as they carefully turned their backs to each other and pretended the other one did not exist while everyone else started talking again and a few couples danced. Melanie and Scott danced several times, and she even danced with Garrett when he arrived a little while later.

  "Where's Shane?" she whispered to Jana. "The party has been going on for an hour, and he's still not here?"

  "I haven't heard anything about him not coming," said Jana. "Maybe he's sick, or something."

  "Not Shane," Melanie assured her. Then her face brightened and she burst out laughing as Shane came through the door leading an iguana on a leash.

  "Meet Igor," he called out as kids squealed and pointed toward the lizard. Igor seemed unperturbed by the crowd and as cool as Shane, looking around and flicking his tongue first to the right and then to the left.

  "Is he going to play the drums for us?" asked Melanie.

  "Naw," said Shane, giving her a wink that made her heart flutter. "I brought him along so that he could dance with me to all the good tunes."