Melinda’s Story
While I had gone to the mall Sunday to buy what I needed for my gingerbread costume, Sarah had gone to pick out a dress for the Victory Ball. Even though I told her I wasn’t sure I wanted to go, she insisted I buy one just in case, pointing out I could always wear it to the next formal instead.
After dinner Saturday night, I took a quick shower. I emerged to find most of my floor queued up for the six stalls.
When Sarah returned to the room, she smiled at me as she closed the door. “So, you decided to go to the dance after all?”
“Yeah. I didn’t want to miss out.”
“You going stag?” I had no idea what that meant. She must have seen my confused look because she quickly explained. “You know. Are you going alone? Or, do you have a date?”
“Oh. I’m going with Walter.”
“Ooooh.”
I scrunched my nose in her direction. “As friends. Pat wants to hang out with us with his friend. Well, Meghan’s friend? I got confused.”
“That’s just weird. Walter’s family being famous. Isn’t it weird to be hanging out with Patrick McGregor?”
“But, I’m not. Not really. See, Patrick McGregor is this famous celebrity. Pat Evans is this fifth former who just wants to spend some time with his brother. The weird part isn’t that Pat’s famous. It’s that he’s a fifth former that wants to spend time with me.”
“I hear what you’re saying, but it still looks like you’re spending time with Patrick McGregor.”
None of us wanted to be late to the dance, so we made sure we were ready early. We met up with the boys in front of the Stanton steps.
Larry nodded to Caroline. “Andy just got back a few minutes ago. He said to tell you he’d meet you at the dance.”
Caroline frowned. “I’ll just go hang out in the common room.”
Walter and I let our friends all head to the dining all in front of us. As we waited to cross the street, Walter smiled at me.
“Well, it would appear that the Victory Ball is aptly named.”
I sent him a confused look. “I thought aptly meant appropriately.”
“It does.”
“I’m confused.”
“The football team won.”
“How is that possible?”
“Well, by some miracle, and I don’t use the word lightly, Kevin did not get injured.”
I shook my head. “Not uh. I don’t believe you.”
Larry slowed down to walk beside us. “No. It’s true.”
Walter nodded. “Kevin actually played until the fourth quarter, when Andy came on just because. And, because Kevin and Andy were both playing when they weren’t kicking, we actually kicked some butt. The final score was twenty to thirty-one, Hartfield.”
“They must be elated.”
“Actually, I think a couple of them are kinda bummed that they didn’t have a no-win season. And that Kevin went one game without getting hurt.”
Sarah frowned. “You’re joking.”
Larry shook his head. “No, I think he’s right.”
Since both boys were smiling, I wasn’t sure whether I could believe them.
When we walked into the dining hall, I was stunned by its amazing transformation in such a short period of time. The tables in the senior section were covered with platters of finger foods and desserts. A server preparing glasses of punch and water near a dispenser. The chairs had magically disappeared.
Then my friends dragged me around the fireplace. The tables and chairs were gone. A DJ in the corner was playing real music from the radio, not the club music they played at MAC dances.
A few of my friends headed out to the dance floor, but I didn’t want to be one of them. I turned to Sarah.
“Let’s go check out the food.”
Of course, our dates followed. There were cheese trays with an assortment of crackers. Warmers full of mini grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken nuggets, and mini meatballs. There was a chocolate fountain with marshmallows and fruit on sticks for dipping.
Sarah was practically drooling. “I know we just ate, but all this looks so good.”
I nodded. “I want a little of everything.”
But, I didn’t want to be the first to touch the food. Surprisingly, neither did Walter.
We went back to the dance floor and joined our friends for several upbeat songs. Eventually, Andy arrived with Caroline and we all congratulated him on his game.
When the first slow song played, everyone broke into their couples. I was going to visit the food tables, but Walter put his hand on my shoulder.
“Want to dance?”
I had never slow danced before, but I figured my first time might as be with my best friend. I shrugged and put my arms around his neck as he held my waist. We didn’t say a word as we danced nearly an arms length apart. It felt stiff and formal and forced.
When the song ended, I looked around. Our friends were gone. I spotted some of them further into the dance floor. Walter and I stayed where we were. Eventually, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
“Mind if I join you?”
I spun to see Pat flashing me that famous smile. Walter looked equal parts annoyed and relieved as his stood between us. Pat’s date stood across from him to help make a circle.
Pat pointed to her. “Melinda, this is Chloe. Chloe, this is Melinda.”
She waved. “Hi!”
Although the music was loud, it was not as ear-splitting as the MAC dance had been and it was possible to hold a conversation, especially near the fireplace where we were dancing.
Pat nodded towards Walter. “Sorry about your game.”
Walter shrugged. “We’re not as bad as Varsity, so I don’t mind losing once in a while.”
“We lost our soccer game. ” Chloe looked to me. “How about you? Did you lose too?”
“I do dance for my sport. I spent my day rehearsing. About six hours, if you don’t include lunch.”
“Ouch, that’s rough. Okay, we’ll count that as a loss, too. So, who wants to go drown their sorrows in some punch?”
I laughed, following Chloe and the boys to the refreshments. I tried a little bit of everything. It was amazing.
I was just finishing a glass of punch when another song dance played. Pat reached for my hand.
“Melinda. Dance with me?”
I had mixed feelings as I placed my hand in his. Would dancing with Pat be as weird as it had been with Walter? Was Walter going to freak out? Maybe I should have asked if he minded.
Pat led me to the same corner where Walter and I had been dancing earlier. I put my hands around his neck and swayed to the music with him.
It wasn’t nearly as strange as it had been with Walter. Maybe because Pat kept pulling me closer to him. Maybe because he smelled like fresh mountain air. Maybe because I could feel his breath on my forehead.
Suddenly, I realized what it was. I leaned back slightly so I could look in his eyes.
“It’s like I’m dancing with Mighty Max!”
It was a character he played in last summer’s blockbuster. He looked pained that I would bring it up.
“I thought you saw past the movie star.”
“That’s not what I meant.” How could I explain it to him? “I just meant, I feel safe in your arms. Like you’ll protect me.”
Pat stopped dancing, looking at me strangely. He pulled me a little closer to him as he pushed a stray hair behind my ear. His hand moved behind my head as he leaned towards me.
By the time I realized he was going to kiss me, I didn’t have time to back away. The moment our lips met, my heart stopped beating. Pat was moving his lips and I followed his lead. When I put my arms around his neck, he pulled me closer.
Eventually, I came to my senses. I put my hands on his chest and gently pushed him away. He still held my waist, but I didn’t mind. I was still trying to figure out what had just happened.
He look as stunned as I felt. “Sorry.”
I didn’t respond. I had glanced behind him a moment to see Walter glaring at me before disappearing into the senior section.
I sighed. “I’ve gotta go talk to him.”
“Huh?”
I turned my attention back to Pat. “Walter. He looked really mad.”
Pat swore under his breath. “Can we talk later?” He ran his hand through my hair before letting go of me.
“Um, yeah.” I couldn’t quite hide my sarcasm. “I think we need to.”
I followed Walter’s path, but he wasn’t near the refreshment tables. I continued towards the main entrance, finding him in the lounge, one of the couches arranged in a U around the fireplace.
I sat beside him, speaking in the most sympathetic tone she could muster. “Hi.”
“Hey.” He refused to look at me and his voice lacked the energy and amusement it had earlier.
I hated seeing him like this, but knowing it was because of me just made it worse. “Can we talk?”
“No.”
If sympathy wasn’t going to work, I would be a little more forceful. “Fine. I’ll talk. You can just listen. Your brother kissed me.”
“I don’t want to hear about it.”
“Too bad.” I couldn’t be mean. I softened my tone. “I didn’t want him to kiss me.”
Walter practically sneered at me. “You’ve never dreamed of kissing Patrick McGregor?”
I shook her head. “That’s not Patrick McGregor in there. That’s Pat Evans, your brother and one of your best friends. He’s a pretty nice guy and I didn’t want to hurt his feelings when he asked me to dance. I wasn’t dancing with him hoping he would kiss me. I was just dancing with a friend. And then, he kissed me out of the blue. And it was like . . .”
How on earth was I supposed to explain it? While I searched for the right words, I saw Walter’s facial expression change a few times.
Before I knew what was happening, his lips were on mine. He had one hand on the back of my head pulling me towards him slightly. It was a strange sensation. If he had been anyone else, I probably would have been kissing him back. I felt his tongue brushed against my lips a moment before he sat back.
“Like that?” he asked glumly.
“What was that?”
“I don’t know.” Walter threw up his hands in exasperation. “I’m mad at my brother for stealing my friend. And, I’m trying to win you back.”
“Well, that’s just stupid on so many levels.” I took a deep breath. “I don’t know where to start. For starters, I think of you as a brother. That was probably the best kiss I’ve had, and I felt nothing.”
“That was the best kiss you’ve had?” Walter could not hide his surprise.
“Well, yeah. It was a nice kiss. But, I just didn’t feel anything.”
“I’ve never kissed anyone before.”
I smiled. “Well, you’re good at it.”
“Thanks. I figured I did something wrong, because I didn’t feel anything for you, either.”
“You did do something wrong. You kissed your best friend.”
“I’m sorry. I just saw him and you and I got . . . jealous. And, I was trying to figure out why.”
“Walter, I get it. When Ava started spending so much time with you, I was jealous. And, I realized it was because I felt she was taking away my best friend.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s how I feel. So, is he? Taking you away from me?”
“That’s not my intention.”
We both turned to see Pat standing behind us. Walter turned back to me. “I’m not okay with this.” He got to his feet, glaring at his brother as he returned to the dining hall. Pat sat beside me.
“Is he okay?”
“Not really.”
“How about you? Are you okay?” He lifted his hand like he wanted to touch my head or something, but he returned it to his lap instead.
“Not really.”
“I’m sorry. I have no idea what happened. I was enjoying dancing with you, and it felt like I was supposed to kiss you. I think I’ve watched too many of my own movies.”
I had to giggle. It helped relieve some of the tension. “It was just weird.”
“I know. You’re my brother’s best friend. I’m not supposed to feel this way about you, but I do.” Pat raked his fingers through his hair in exasperation. “And I have no idea how to handle it.”
“Feel what way?”
Pat sighed and got to his feet, pacing between the couches. “I feel like I want to be more than friends. And, I can tell by your reaction you don’t feel the same.”
That wasn’t exactly true. I wasn’t going to deny that something had happened when he kissed me. But, I he was my best friend’s brother. Complicated wasn’t anywhere close to the right word.
I took my time trying to explain, choosing my words carefully. “It’s not that. Not exactly. Like I said, it’s weird. I mean, until a couple of months ago, I never really thought about boyfriends. And, you’re so much older than me.”
He stopped pacing to look at me. “It’s only what? Two years?”
“Three. I’m only thirteen and a half.”
“Really? I never would have guessed. But, three years isn’t that big a deal.”
“It’s not just the age thing. There’s Walter.”
“You have feelings for him?”
“Ew. No. I really do think of him like a brother.”
“And do you feel that way about me?”
“No, I don’t.”
Pat returned to the couch, running his fingers through my hair. “If I were to kiss you again, would you run away?”
I shook my head. He kept his hand in my hair and pulled me closer to him. His other hand went around my waist as my arms went around his neck.
When our lips met, a warm, tender feeling radiated from my belly. I never wanted that feeling to end.
Pat pulled away, but rested his forehead against mine, still holding me close. He cursed under his breath, almost affectionately.
I kept my voice soft so as not to ruin the moment. “It’s not that I don’t have feelings for you. It’s just that I can’t figure out what those feelings are.”
“Yeah, I get that.” Pat sat back to look in my eyes. “So, now what? Pretend there’s nothing there?”
“Can we just see what happens? I mean, I dunno. Not exactly ignore, but just not do anything about it? Does that even make sense?”
“Actually, it does. I like that idea.”
“Um . . . I hate to say this, but how or what should we tell Walter?”
Pat winced. “I’ll talk to him. Later.” He stood and reached for my hand. We found Walter talking with Chloe and Frank near the chocolate fountain. He glared at us when we walked in.
Pat needed to talk to his brother now. I wasn’t going to enjoy the rest of the dance if Walter was mad at me. I squeezed Pat’s hand. He seemed to understand.
Pat looked at his brother, inclining his head towards the door. Walter followed him back to the lounge.
My date and the guy I kissed were both gone. Now what was I supposed to do? I hadn’t seen any of my friends since the first slow song.
Frank and Chloe came to stand beside me. Chloe sent me a warm smile.
“Did you and Pat work things out?”
“Kinda. Sorta. Not really.” I figured Pat could explain things to his friends later.
Walter and Pat were still missing when another slow song played. Franke held his hand out.
“Would you like to dance with me?”
I shook my head, but Chloe gently pushed me towards him. “Go ahead. You’ll have fun.”
Frank took my hand and I followed him to the center of the dance floor. Dancing with him, I was less awkward than when I had been with Walter, but not nearly as comfortable as I had been with Pat.
After a minute, he leaned close to me. For a split second, I thought he was going to kiss me, but he just wanted to talk in my ear.
“Thanks for dancing with me. My date went off with some sixth form hotshot. I figure if I dance with a pretty girl, she may get jealous. That’s why I picked such a conspicuous location.”
“Conspicuous?”
“Easily seen.”
I smiled. “You’re using me.”
“Totally. Is that okay?”
“It’s a relief. You’re not gonna try to kiss me.”
Frank looked excited. “I could! That might make Bianca jealous.”
“Oh, please don’t!”
Frank leaned closer to me. I moved my hands to his shoulders to push him away. Before I could, he backed away with a huge grin. “Nah, I’m just messing with you!”
“Can I cut in?” I turned to see Pat behind me. He nodded his head to the side. “Bianca is shooting daggers at you.”
I followed his gaze. A pretty brunette in a silky green dress was glaring at us. As Pat wrapped his arms around me, Bianca stalked towards Frank. I put my arms around Pat’s neck as the music got faster. Holding my hand, he led me towards the refreshments.
I squeezed his hand. “Are you and Walter okay?”
“We will be. And you guys will be, too. You’ll see.”
Sure enough, Walter joined us at the beverage table. He told spent the rest of the night sharing stories from both football games and pretending that no one had kissed anyone.
When the next slow song played, I was surprised when Walter asked me to dance. I had assumed Pat would. When I saw him dancing with Chloe not far away, I felt a mild pang of jealousy, even though I knew they were just dancing as friends, like me and Walter.
“It’s still weird.”
I turned my attention back to Walter. “Actually, I was thinking this felt less weird than the last time we danced. That first song.”
“No, I didn’t mean dancing with you. But, yeah. It was more awkward before. I meant the idea of you and Pat.”
“There is no me and Pat.”
“You will be. You know you will be.”
“It’s just so weird.”
“I’m not going to promise not to let it bother me. But I did promise Pat, and now I’ll promise you, that I will talk to you guys if it does.”
“I don’t know if anything is going to happen between us.”
“It will. Just don’t make out in front of me.”
I punched his shoulder playfully as the song ended.
I spent the rest of the dance with Walter, Chloe, and Pat. The final slow song, Pat guided me back to the dance floor, holding me close. I felt so comfortable in his arms, like I belonged there. I closed my eyes, resting my head on his chest as he spoke quietly into my hair.
“Can we maybe get together sometime this week? Just hang out like we did over Parents’ Weekend?”
“Maybe. Maybe we can hang out after school. But, someplace unconspicuous. And not our dorms.”
Pat smiled. “Why not the dorms?”
“Well, I just don’t think it’s appropriate.”
“Oh, I completely agree. Random question: Have you ever had a boy in your room? Not being jealous. I’m trying to make a point.”
“The only guy ever in my room was Walter and it was only one time. Last weekend, when I broke up with Eliot and needed to talk. Oh, and my dad, when he moved me in.”
Pat smiled. “And, have you ever been in a boy’s room?”
“Once. I was going to watch Neogenesis with Walter in his room.”
“And, there’s my point. I feel the same way. The only time I’ve been in any girl’s room was to visit Meghan. I’ve had a couple of girlfriends, but I’ve never been in their room or trailer or whatever. It’s just not…”
“Proper.”
Pat smiled. “That’s why I like you. You get me. So, why inconspicuous?”
I winced. “I thought it sounded wrong.”
Pat smiled at me as the song ended and the lights in the room brightened. Taking my hand, he led me out the back stairwell. There wasn’t a lot of traffic and we walked to the dorms in relative isolation.
Pat swung my hand as we walked. “Why inconspicuous?”
I shrugged. “I don’t want people to think I’m Patrick McGregor’s girlfriend.”
Pat frowned. “I know we said we’re just gonna see what happens, but—are you embarrassed to be with me?”
“No, see. If something does happen between us, it’ll be between me and Pat Evans, not Patrick McGregor. Does that even make sense?”
Pat sent me that heart-melting smile. “Yeah, I think that’ll be okay.”
When we reached Woodward, Pat kissed my hand before releasing it and continuing towards his dormitory. I headed upstairs and changed for bed. Sarah was taking her sweet time getting back. I wasn’t sure if I should wait up for her.
She finally returned moments before curfew.
“Where’ve you been?” Sarah and I asked at the time, erupting in giggles.
Sarah shook her head as she changed out of her dress. “Larry and I took the long way back. We wanted some alone time.”
“Alone time? Is that what they’re calling it these days? And what’s the long way?”
“We went on the other side of the humanities building. There’s some quiet places over there to sit.”
“And kiss.”
“Speaking of kisses, did I see Patrick McGregor kiss you or were my eyes failing me.”
Oh no! I had hoped no one had seen. I didn’t want everyone on campus gossiping about me. I nodded towards the door.
“Go finish getting ready for bed and I promise I’ll tell you.”
Sarah returned to the room in record time, settling settled herself on her bed with her back against the wall. “Okay. Spill.”
“So, yes, Pat did kiss me.”
“What was it like?”
“Well, the first time –”
“He kissed you more than once?”
I smiled at the memory. “The first time he kissed me while we were dancing and it kind of startled both of us, I think. He got caught up in the moment, and neither of us knew what to think. Then, when we were talking it over, he kissed me again and it was . . . overwhelming.”
“So, are you guys a thing now?”
“No, we’re gonna kinda just see what happens. It’s weird for both of us. And, we don’t want to hurt Walter.”
“Are you going to tell him?”
“I don’t have to. Walter saw Pat kiss me.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“And how did he react to you kissing his brother?”
“He kissed me.” I said it casually, but Sarah’s jaw still hit her bed.
“WHAT?”
I giggled. “I was talking to Walter, trying to explain how I felt about Pat, and he kissed me.”
I saw Sarah’s jaw move up and down a couple of times, but she seemed to be having trouble forming words.
“I don’t feel anything for him. And, he doesn’t feel anything for me. We’re just meant to be friends.”
“So, you go to the dance stag and you end up kissing two boys. And get an almost boyfriend. Maybe I should go to the next dance alone.”
“But, then you wouldn’t have any alone time with Larry.”
“Oh, I think we can figure that out. So, you’ve kissed, what, four boys in the past month? Who’s the best kisser?”
I didn’t have to think twice. “Walter. He’s an amazing kisser. I just didn’t feel anything for him.”
Pat’s Story
That evening, I met up with Chloe in the dining hall common room. She was wearing a sleeveless red dress that reached to her ankles, where her matching heels laced their way up her leg. I couldn’t help but remember what I had said to Frankie last month.
“You look gorgeous.” I kissed her on the cheek. “Supermodel gorgeous.”
She smiled brightly as we walked into the room. “So? Did Walter say you could hang out with him?”
I nodded and began scanning the crowd. I found Melinda and Walter dancing awkwardly near the edge of the dance floor. They certainly did not look like they were enjoying themselves. I held Chloe’s hand as we walked towards my brother. I tapped Melinda’s shoulder.
“Mind if I join you?”
Walter looked relieved to see me and smiled at Chloe. She stood on his other side as we made a small circle. I introduced Melinda to Chloe. We talked a little about the games today and Melinda told us about her rehearsal. Then, Chloe suggested refreshments.
Walter was shoveling food in his face when I heard another slow song. I wasn’t sure what came over me, but I held out my hand towards Melinda. “Dance with me?”
To my surprise, she took my hand and we moved to a corner of the dance floor. I took her in my arms and she melted right into me. I felt a strange sensation going through me and a couple of times I pulled her closer to me. I was hoping to stay like this all night when leaned back slightly.
“It’s like I’m dancing with Mighty Max!”
It was a reference to a movie I had made last year. I frowned. “I thought you saw past the movie star.”
Melinda shook her head. “That’s not what I mean.” She paused a moment, then continued. “I just meant, I feel safe in your arms. Like you’ll protect me.”
I stopped dancing and looked at her. The top of her hair had been pulled back, but some of it had come loose and I reached out to push it behind her ear. I kept my hand behind her head and pulled her close.
When our lips touched, I finally understood what everyone had been talking about. I felt as if I couldn’t get enough of her and I pulled her in closer. Her arms were around my neck and she was kissing me back. My heart stopped beating normally.
I lost track of time, but the song had not changed when she put her hands on my chest and slowly pushed me away, looking at me with wide eyes. I left my hands along her waist, and she didn’t resist.
“Sorry,” I whispered.
Melinda was looking behind me. “I’ve gotta go talk to him.”
“Huh?” I was baffled.
Melinda looked into my eyes. “Walter. He looked really mad.”
I swore and ran my hands through her hair. “Can we talk later?”
The sarcasm in her response was noticeable. “Um, yeah. I think we need to.”
I watched Melinda leave, then walked back to the refreshments. Chloe was by the chocolate fountain and Frank had joined her. He sent me a concerned look.
“What’s going on? We were talking to Walter, then all of sudden he stormed out of here. A minute later, Melinda was following after him.”
I started pacing, raking my fingers through my hair. “I kissed Melinda.”. When I stopped, they were both grinning. “What?”
Frank raised his eyebrows. “And?”
“And what? She ran off.”
“You’re that bad at it?” When I glared at Chloe, she quickly apologized. “I was kidding. You’re not. Go talk to her.”
I headed back towards the common room, where I heard my brother’s voice from the couch area.
“So is he? Taking you away from me?”
I came up behind where they were sitting. “That’s not my intention.”
Melinda looked at Walter, who turned to me as he stood up. “I’m not okay with this.” He glared at me before stomping back to the dining hall.
I took his seat beside Melinda. “Is he okay?”
“Not really.” Her voice was not much more than a whisper.
“How about you? Are you okay?” I wanted to touch her hair again, but stopped halfway.
“Not really.”
“I’m sorry. I have no idea what happened. I was enjoying dancing with you, and it felt like I was supposed to kiss you. I think I’ve watched too many of my own movies.”
Melinda giggled, which was my intention. “It was just weird.”
“I know. You’re my brother’s best friend. I’m not supposed to feel this way about you, but I do. And, I have no idea how to handle it.” I ran my fingers through my hair again.
“Feel what way?” Melinda asked slowly.
I stood up and started pacing again. For the first time, I realized that just because I had felt something didn’t mean she had. I chose my words carefully. “I feel like I want to be more than friends. And, I can tell by your reaction, you don’t feel the same.”
Melinda didn’t respond right away. I figured she was probably trying to figure out how to let me down gently. When she finally spoke, her words were slow. “It’s not that. Not exactly. Like I said, it’s weird. I mean, until a couple of months ago, I never really thought about boyfriends. And, you’re so much older than me.”
I stopped pacing. “It’s only what? Two years?”
“Three. I’m only thirteen and a half.”
“Really? I never would have guessed. But, three years isn’t that big a deal.”
“It’s not just the age thing. There’s Walter.”
“You have feelings for him?”
“Ew. No. I really do think of him like a brother.”
“And, do you feel that way about me?”
“No, I don’t.”
My heart leapt in excitement. I sat beside her, running my fingers through her hair. “If I were to kiss you again, would you run away?”
Melinda shook her head. I kept my hand behind her and leaned in. When she put her arms around me, I reached to her waist to pull her closer. It was unbelievable. I never wanted this sensation to end, but I knew we couldn’t spend the entire night out here.
I pulled away, but held her close and rested my forehead against hers. I swore softly.
Melinda spoke so quietly, she was practically whispering. “It’s not that I don’t have feelings for you. It’s just that I can’t figure out what those feeling are.”
I sat back to look at her better. “Yeah, I get that. So, now what? Pretend there’s nothing there?”
“Can we just see what happens? I mean, I dunno. Not exactly ignore, but just not do anything about it? Does that even make sense?”
I smiled. “Actually, it does. I like that idea.”
Melinda smiled back, but her face quickly fell. “Um…I hate to say this, but how or what should we tell Walter?”
I winced. “I’ll talk to him. Later.” I stood and reached out for Melinda’s hand. She took it and we returned to the dance. Chloe and Frank were standing where I left them, talking to Walter.
Walter glared at me and Melinda squeezed my hand. Somehow, I knew she wanted me to talk to my brother now. With a sigh, I caught his eye and inclined my head back where I had just been. Glowering, he stomped towards me.
Walter swore at me as we marched to the couches. “What are you doing?”
“I don’t know! We were dancing and…it just happened.”
“Why? Why were you even dancing with her?”
“Walter? I’ve never met anyone like her before. She sees the real me, not the celebrity. I like spending time with her.”
“So, is she your girlfriend now?” All the energy seemed to leave Walter’s voice as he collapsed onto the couch.
I shook my head and sat beside my brother. “No. She’s…conflicted. But, I’ll walk away if you want me to.”
“It’s weird!”
“Yeah, it is. I think so. You think so. Melinda thinks so. But, just because it’s a little weird, does that mean we should all walk away? Cuz, I have never felt like this before.”
“So, you guys go out for a few weeks. What happens when you break up? I’m gonna have to start choosing between you two?”
“What choosing? You never want to be around me.” I started pacing again.
“Do you get weirded out when Mom kisses another actor?”
I stopped and faced him. “That was random. Yeah, I guess.”
“That’s what it felt like. Watching you and Melinda.”
“I don’t want to weird you out. If it bothers you…”
“I’ll talk to you about it. But, don’t walk away. I saw the look in her eye when you two came back just now. She likes you.”
I reached out a hand to help my brother off the couch. “We okay?”
Walter shrugged. “Getting there.”
When I went back to the dance, Chloe was talking to someone by the punch. I scanned the room and saw Frank’s date, Bianca. She was standing near the servery glaring at someone I couldn’t see. As I walked around the fireplace, I was able to follow her gaze. Frank was leaning in to kiss Melinda as he danced slowly with her.
That was just going too far. As I approached, Frank stood back up and I heard him say, “Nah, I’m just messing with you!”
“Can I cut in?” I nodded my head towards his date. “Bianca is shooting daggers at you.”
Frank smiled as he passed Melinda towards me. I held her tightly, but the music changed to something more upbeat. I took her hand and we walked back towards the refreshments. She squeezed my hand.
“Are you and Walter okay?”
“We will be. And you guys will be, too. You’ll see.”
We hung out with Walter and Chloe for the rest of the night talking about Wheeler Weekend. The next slow song, Walter took Melinda back onto the dance floor.
I extended an elbow towards Chloe. “Would you like to dance, milady?”
Chloe adopted an affected tone as she took my proffered arm. “That would be lovely.” We laughed our way onto the dance floor.
“I’m sorry about that kissing comment I made earlier. It was out of line.”
“Chloe, I felt something when I kissed her. It was so powerful. I’ve never felt anything like that before.”
Chloe smiled at me. “Don’t screw this up. So, is she the reason you wanted to go to the show tomorrow?”
I nodded. “Meghan’s gonna visit for the day.”
“See, now I have to come. She’s my best friend.”
“Hey. I know you and I came together, but do you mind if I walk Melinda back after the dance?”
“I think you should.”
“Can you tell Walter?”
Chloe smiled. “He’ll be okay. Just give him a little time.”
As the dance was ending, I made sure I was standing close to Melinda. When the last slow song began, I grabbed her hand and slowly led her towards the dance floor. I saw Chloe talking to Walter and hoped he would be understanding. I held Melinda close and she rested her head on my chest, eyes closed. I spoke softly into her hair.
“Can we maybe get together sometime this week?” I asked. “Just hang out like we did over Parents’ Weekend?”
“Maybe. Maybe we can hang out after school. But, someplace unconspicuous. And not our dorms.”
She was so adorable, I couldn’t help smiling. “Why not the dorms?”
“Well, I just don’t think it’s appropriate.”
“Oh, I completely agree. Random question: Have you ever had a boy in your room?” She raised her eyebrows. “Not being jealous. I’m trying to make a point.”
“The only guy ever in my room was Walter and it was only one time. Last weekend, when I broke up with Eliot and needed to talk. Oh, and my dad, when he moved me in.”
Pat smiled. “And have you ever been in a boy’s room?”
“Once. I was going to watch Neogenesis with Walter in his room.”
“And, there’s my point. I feel the same way. The only time I’ve been in any girl’s room was to visit Meghan. I’ve had a couple of girlfriends, but I’ve never been in their room or trailer or whatever. It’s just not…” I searched for the right word.
“Proper,” suggested Melinda.
I smiled. “That’s why I like you. You get me. So, why inconspicuous?” I twirled her hair.
Melinda winced. “I thought it sounded wrong.”
The song ended and the lights turned back on. I watched the sea of people move towards the main entrance, probably to grab some more refreshments as they headed out. I took Melinda’s hand and led her down the back stairwell. “Why inconspicuous?” I asked again as we walked slowly towards our dorms.
“I don’t want people to think I’m Patrick McGregor’s girlfriend.”
My heart ached. Had I misunderstood everything that was going on with us? “I know we said we’re just gonna see what happens, but—are you embarrassed to be with me?”
“No. See, if something does happen between us, it’ll be between me and Pat Evans, not Patrick McGregor. Does that even make sense?”
My heart leapt for joy. She understood me better than I realized. “Yeah, I think that’ll be okay.”
Hartfield Chronicles 