Fabulous Five 002 - The Trouble with Flirting (7 page)

The glow she had felt from talking to Shane had worn off by
the next morning, and Melanie lay in her bed after the alarm went off thinking
about the mess she had gotten herself into.

"Things are totally out of hand," she said out
loud.
"Totally!"

She had three dates for one party, and one of those dates
was with a boy who thought she was someone else.

"What am I going to
do-o-o-o
?
" she
moaned.

She asked the same question of the rest of The Fabulous Five
when they met in their special corner of the fence before school.

"You've got to help me," she begged. "At
least think up some ideas for how I can get out of this mess. Come on, guys.
Think.
Please
!
"

Jana's eyes were twinkling. "You could always take a
vacation to Abu Dhabi."

"Where's that?" Melanie asked suspiciously.

"Only Asia," said Jana.

"I've got an idea," said Beth. "You could
stow away on a steamer to Hong Kong."

"Maybe the next space shuttle flight has an opening,"
suggested Christie.

"Get serious, you guys," snapped Melanie. "This
is important."

"Have you ever thought about not being so boy crazy?"
asked Katie.

"I AM
NOT
BOY CRAZY!" she shouted. Why did
Katie always say that? It made her furious. "Thanks a lot for
nothing,
"
she said as she turned and stomped away. I'll show them, she thought. I'll work
it out myself.

As she rounded a corner of the school building she almost bumped
into Garrett.

"Oh . . . hi," she said, hoping he couldn't see
how flustered she was.

"Hi, yourself," he said. "How's that ankle?"

"Oh, it's okay," she said. "It hardly hurts
at all this morning."

"Let me show you the pictures I took at football practice
yesterday," he said, digging around in his pack. "I developed them
last night, and they came out great, if I do say so myself."

Garrett was grinning with pride when he handed her the
pictures. Melanie glanced through them, trying to appear casual, and felt a
rush of pleasure at how super she looked in every single shot. Then she
inspected Shane and Scott, and they looked terrific, too.

"Gosh. Could I have some of these?" she asked.

"I'll make you a set tonight," Garrett offered. "I'd
let you have these and make myself a
new
set except I want to show them
to Mr. Neal, the yearbook adviser." Then he added with an embarrassed
smile, "He wasn't very impressed with the ones I took at the soap game."

Melanie drifted toward her locker a few minutes later in a total
trance. Garrett was starting to like her. She was sure of it. Hadn't he said he
would make her a set of pictures so that he could keep those for himself? Sure,
he was going to show them to Mr. Neal, but he could have offered to give those
to her as soon as Mr. Neal saw them if he didn't want her picture to keep.

But will he still like you if he finds out you re
pretending to be Taffy Sinclair?
a little voice asked.

I am NOT pretending to be Taffy Sinclair,
argued
another voice in her mind.
On the phone he calls me Melanie, not Taffy
,
so how am I supposed to know he has us mixed up?

You know how,
reminded the first voice,
he talked
about your blond hair.

Melanie stared into her locker until the first bell rang,
pulling her back to reality. Closing the door and spinning the lock, she turned
to head for class and then stopped cold. Taffy Sinclair was at her locker, too,
only she wasn't getting her books. She looked especially great in a bright red
sweater and she was gazing up into the smiling face of Garrett Boldt!

Melanie cringed and slumped back against her locker. What were
they talking about? The party? She peered around Gloria Drexler, who had the
locker next to hers, and looked at them again. There was no doubt about it.
They were staring into each other's eyes and smiling. Were Garrett's lips
moving? Was he telling her how much he liked her blond hair and blue eyes? Her
red sweater? Was Taffy nodding? Was she saying she was glad he was taking her
home from Laura's party?

Melanie ducked back behind Gloria again as Garrett glanced
down the hall in her direction. Her heart was pounding, her pulse racing. Had
he seen her? Would he think she was a snoop and a spy?

She waited until Gloria moved away to look at them again,
but they were gone. Both of them. It was as if they had disappeared into thin
air. In fact, the halls were clearing as kids got their books and headed for
class.

Melanie marched to her homeroom like a zombie, trying not to
wonder if Garrett had walked Taffy to class. Maybe I'll really hurt my ankle so
that I can't go the party, she thought. Or if that doesn't work, maybe I'll
fake being sick. Maybe Saturday morning I'll call all three of them and tell
them I've been throwing up. No, she thought, I don't want them picturing me
barfing up my socks. Surely I'll think of something better between now and
then.

Scott was standing outside her homeroom door nervously
checking his watch. When he saw her, his face lit up. "Hey, you aren't
even limping. That's great," he said. "I tried to call you last night
to see how you were, but your line was busy."

"My ankle doesn't hurt anymore," said Melanie. "I
guess you took pretty good care of me."

Scott shrugged and turned a bright shade of red. "Well,"
he said, and Melanie could tell he was fumbling for words. "It's time for
the bell. I guess I'd better go." Then he shot off down the hall like a
bullet.

For the rest of the morning Melanie couldn't concentrate.
Scott really cared about her. He had tried to call last night, but the line had
been busy. She cringed. She had probably been talking to Shane. And speaking of
Shane, she thought, did she really like him as a boyfriend? Or was she mostly
trying to keep him away from Laura McCall? The same went for Garrett. He was
gorgeous and older than she was, but was that what really mattered? Or did it
have more to do with Taffy Sinclair?

"No," she whispered to herself. "I like all
of them."

Sighing, she thought again about the times when no boys ever
looked at her. She had been chubby and unattractive then. But things had
changed. Changed so much that now there were three boys in her life. It was fun
being popular, and with so many cute boys from all over town coming to Wakeman
Junior High, how could she help getting carried away?

Carried away.
The words echoed in her mind. Was that
what Katie meant all those times when she said I was boy crazy? she wondered. Was
she trying to warn me about what might happen if I didn't come to my senses?

Laura's party Saturday night could turn into a disaster,
thought Melanie, and if that happens, it will be all my fault. Then, in a
flash, she knew just what to do.

In the cafeteria at noon all the girls were talking about
cheerleading tryouts. It was the last thing in the world that Melanie wanted to
think about, even when Alexis and Sara stopped by The Fabulous Five's table.

"I'm not sure I'm going to be ready by tomorrow,"
said Beth.

"Me either," confessed Alexis. "The cheers
seem so easy when I'm practicing them in my head, but when I actually try to do
them, I have trouble keeping my hands and feet working in time with the words."

"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 the 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.