Melinda’s Story
I brought my lunch to the corner table where I had eaten breakfast. When I texted Pat to join me, he immediately replied he had just entered the dining hall.
A few moments later, he plopped his tray beside me. “Just shoot me now, Daphne.” In a rare role reversal, he slumped in his chair, resting his head on my chest. I wrapped my arms around him, playing with his hair. He closed his eyes.
“Just shoot me now. Then, I won’t have to take this horrible exam.”
“Where is Pat Evans and what have you done with him?”
He opened his eyes, but otherwise didn’t move. “Pat Evans is still in Hawaii. So is his brain. I’m going to fail this exam.”
“Pat, you know this material. I know you do. Watch. Amino Acid.”
“Building block of life.”
“Is that right?”
“You’re quizzing me. You’re supposed to know the answers.”
His smile was returning, but he wasn’t quite relaxed yet. I tried to remember the words we had studied at breakfast.
“Cell wall.”
“The concrete dividers in a jailhouse.” Pat flashed his winning smile as he sat up.
I played along. “Perfect! See, you’re going to ace your civics test.”
“You’re awesome.” He kissed my forehead before picking up his grilled cheese. “Have you been here long?”
“Nah. Walter finished the same time as me and I was hanging out with him. How was your physics test?”
“It wasn’t that bad. But, physics is all math. That’s easy. Biology is all memorization. That’s harder. And Frank said the test was a nightmare.”
“Is Frank in your class?”
Pat shrugged. “Everyone in honors bio takes the same exam. He texted me when it was over and said he thinks he failed.”
I pointed a fry at him. “Is it possible he’s teasing you?”
Pat was silent for several bites as he considered this. “I’m an idiot.”
“You’re not an idiot. You’re stressed out. Why don’t we go for a walk and I can quiz you.”
“I’d rather kiss you, but I suppose studying is a better use of my time.”
I walked with Pat to the TRAC. “Are there many people taking conflicts?”
“I don’t think so. There were a couple people in my history class taking multiple humanities classes, so they had conflicts. I know some people take two languages, so they have conflicts. My guess, about a hundred or so of us.”
I glanced around the spacious room. The chairs hadn’t been moved since the first day of exams, but the labels on the back had changed. This time, each row was simply labeled with the name of a teacher, sometimes more than one teacher.
Pat checked his watch. “I still have some time. Let’s go for a walk. I wanna show you something.”
He took my hand, leading me along the perimeter of the room to the front corner. I followed him up a staircase, my fingers still laced with his. We sat on the floor right in the middle of the suspended track, a four-lane oval that circled the room.
I looked around. “Why are we up here?”
“Because it’s really cool to sit up here and watch everything going on below. But mostly because I wanted to say goodbye to you in private.”
I sighed. “I wanted to surprise you. Walter talked me into riding home with you guys.”
“I thought you were embarrassed to be seen with me.”
I was hurt he could even think that. “What? No, Pat. I’m never embarrassed to be seen with you.”
“What changed your mind?”
I sighed. “Do you remember the day I met you?”
He twirled my hair. “Like it was yesterday.”
“I was standing in the servery and Walter invited me to his table. I thought I was going to be sitting with Larry and Andy and the guys. And instead, he was introducing you to me like you were normal.”
“I take offense. I’m not normal.”
“I know, but your parents decided to send you here instead of the asylum.”
Pat’s laughter echoed in the empty room. I smiled.
“Anyway, I recommended to Walter afterwards that he should have two rules: always give warning when introducing his family to someone, and no more than one famous relative at a time.”
“Did he do that when you met Mom and Dad?”
My answer was probably little sardonic. I hadn’t completely forgiven him for that night. “No. He claims he forgot. But, I don’t forget how awkward it was. I mean, look at Sarah. She still can’t even hold a conversation with you and you’ve been hanging around for a month.”
“Daphne, you’re the only one besides Walter who sees Pat Evans the majority of the time. That’s one of the things I like best about you.”
“You made me forget my point.”
“You were telling me why Walter was able to convince you to ride home with us.”
I shrugged. “Walter said your parents were sending a car.”
“That was all it took?”
“Pretty much.”
Pat smiled at me. “And I had this fantastic goodbye kiss planned.” He tucked my hair behind my ear, drawing me close.
“Why don’t we call it a good luck kiss instead?” My voice was a breathless whisper as our lips met.
The kiss was slow and deep. Would ever get used to it? Or would my heart would stop every time? That familiar warm feeling grew inside me until I was ready to burst.
Pat pulled away first, sitting back and drawing me into an embrace. “With that kind of luck, I think I’ll be finished with this exam in ten minutes.”
When I finally returned to my dorm, I found Sarah kissing Larry in my room. I stood in the doorway a moment, unsure whether I should leave them alone or interrupt them. Thankfully, I didn’t have to make a decision.
Larry sat back, smiling at Sarah. “My car’s here. I’ll text you later.”
“Have a safe trip,” Sarah gave a small wave.
Larry gave me a friendly hug as he left the room, wishing me a Happy Thanksgiving, before disappearing down the stairs.
Sarah and I looked at each other. “Sorry,” we apologized at the same time before erupting in giggles.
I recovered first. “I didn’t mean to intrude on your private time.”
“No, it’s okay. He hadn’t even signed in. He just came to say goodbye super quick. His parents didn’t want to drive all the way up here in holiday traffic, so he’s taking a car to the bus station then a bus to Pennsylvania.”
“I can’t decide if that sounds like fun or not.”
“Me either. He says the bus has charging ports and wifi, so he’s just going to stream television the entire trip.”
“Yeah, Walter said something about watching a movie, too.”
“Walter’s taking a bus?”
“No. His parents didn’t want to drive, either, so they’re sending a car. They offered to drop me off, since they’re driving right through my town. My mom said okay.”
“You do realize, your movie star boyfriend is dropping you off at your house in a limo, right?”
I flopped onto my bed. “No, I hadn’t. But, I do now. Oh, man. What are my parents going to say?”
Sarah left not long after Larry and by two the dorm was practically empty. No one was remaining on campus during the break, not even the international students who didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving. My friend Jade was staying with her roommate Jessi for the break and was looking forward to experiencing her first real American Thanksgiving.
Walter popped into my room around three, dropping a duffel bag and his overstuffed backpack onto the floor before plopping himself on Sarah’s bed.
“My program is done. I sent it to Mrs. Fletcher, complete with bells and whistles.”
I smiled. “Meaning, you made sure you did all the requirements and then some?”
“Meaning, I added bells and whistles sound effects to the program.”
I giggled. “What time are we leaving?”
“The car is supposed to be here around four, knowing we might have to wait for Pat to finish his exam. Was he still stressing out after lunch?”
I thought about the kiss on the suspended track. “No, I don’t think he was.”
“Why are you blushing? What did you do? Wait, I don’t think I want to know.”
I threw a pillow at Walter. “I kissed him. That’s all. And, so you can stop teasing me all the time, I have no intention of doing anything more than that anytime soon.”
“I know. He told me about that chastity card thingy. I just like teasing you.”
“Give me back my pillow. I need to throw it at you again.”
I had never been in a limousine before, I had seen them on television. I had a feeling it would probably be stocked with frivolous amenities. The boys were probably used to limos and I didn’t want to embarrass myself by pressing all the buttons, like people were always doing on tv. So, when Walter went down to meet the car, I tried to mentally prepare myself to remain as calm and collected as them.
I stopped to tell my advisor I was leaving and reached the car the same time as Pat.A bored-looking man in a dark suit with a blue shirt was standing by the door. He took my duffel and computer case from her, but I kept my backpack with me. I waited for Pat to pass the man his luggage before climbing into the car.
I hovered in the doorway as I watched Walter in a rear-facing seat. He had an open bag of chocolate chip cookies beside him and a can of cola in the cup holder. But, is snack went ignored because he was too busy pressing all the buttons on the console beside him. I burst out laughing.
“Wha?” he shoved a cookie in his mouth.
Pat climbed in behind me. “You’re acting like you’ve never been in a limo before,” he sat opposite his brother, grabbing me by the waist and pulling me into his lap.
Walter shrugged. “I’ve never been in this limo before. I need to see how everything works.”
“And, I need to text my mother,” I pulled my phone from my bag as I settled myself beside Pat.
Walter pressed a button on the console. “Melinda wants to know what time you think we’ll be at her house.”
It took me a moment to realize he had been addressing the driver. The voice came through an overhead speaker as we pulled away from the school. “There is a lot of traffic. The GPS is saying about half past seven.”
I had no idea where the microphone was. I shouted towards the ceiling. “Thanks. It’s okay if we’re later. My mom just wanted a rough estimate.”
As I texted my mother, Walter pressed another button and a television came to life above my head. “Cool,” he said as he switched it off.
When I put down my phone, Pat put his arm around me and I snuggled close.
I smiled at him. “How was your exam,”
He frowned. “I don’t think Frank was kidding when he said it was tough. It really wasn’t fun. But, I had studied really well, so I think I did okay. Now, we can focus on Thanksgiving.”
“What’s your Thanksgiving like?”
Pat tensed slightly. “You mean, how does CAVEmen celebrate Thanksgiving?”
I traced Pat’s hand, shaking my head. “No, how does the Irish McGregor family celebrate Thanksgiving. My family’s Italian. We have a seven-course meal.”
Walters eyes grew wide. “You’re kidding me,” Pat snickered at the awe in his brothers voice.
I smiled across the car. “Nope. Uncle Tony makes the stuffed mushrooms appetizer. Then, Papa makes stuffed artichokes. My mom makes the antipasto.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s a meat salad, but my mother makes it into this elaborate tower like her grandmother taught her. You would love it.”
“You’re making me hungry,” Pat turned to his brother. “Doofus, Pass me some cookies.”
Walter threw the bag across the car as I tried to picture thanksgiving dinner in my head.
“After the antipasto, we have Nonna’s manicotti. Wait . . . I’m missing something. Oh yeah. The salad comes next. Then the turkey and stuffing. Aunt Lily makes the yams with mini marshmallows and apples and nuts. There’s corn and other assorted vegetables. Dinner rolls. Then, Papa goes and takes a nap and my cousins and I wake him up when it’s time for dessert.”
Walter leaned forward in his seat. “Okay. Here’s what we’re gonna do. When we get to your house, I’m gonna stay with you. I’ll bunk with your brother; it’ll be fine. Pat, tell Mom and Dad that I’m staying with Melinda and I’ll be home Friday. Tell them about the seven courses. They’ll understand.”
We laughed all the way to the highway.
There was a lot of traffic, but Walter had downloaded the latest Neogenesis episode to his phone. We had all been too busy studying to watch it Friday night. He connected it to the television and insisted me and Pat take his seat. Before I could ask how he planned to watch the show from beneath the screen, he sat on the floor in front of us.
I raised my eyebrows. “Are you comfortable? You don’t have to sit there.”
Walter shook his head. “Yes, I do. At some point in time, you’re going to realize you’re not going to see each other for over a week and I don’t want to witness that goodbye kiss. So, I’m staying here.”
Pat’s Story
I sat next to Walter during my physics final, but I was so focused on the test that I didn’t even have time to spare him a glance. It was tough, but as I headed to lunch, I thought it over and was pretty sure I had done reasonably well on it.
As I entered the dining hall, Melinda texted me she was at the same table where we had eaten breakfast. Although it wasn’t my sanctuary, we would probably be left alone. I was about to put away my phone when I got a text from Frank that made me lose my appetite.
I grabbed a grilled cheese mostly because it was there and went find my girlfriend. I dropped my tray onto the table and sat down, resting my head against her chest.
“Just shoot me now, Daphne. Just shoot me now. Then, I won’t have to take this horrible exam.”
She put her arms around me and twirled her fingers in my hair. She held me close and I could hear her heartbeat. Somehow, that settled me a little. So did her calm voice.
“Where is Pat Evans and what have you done with him?”
“Pat Evans is still in Hawaii. So is his brain. I’m going to fail this exam.”
“Pat, you know this material. I know you do. Watch. Amino acid.”
“Building block of life.” My response was automatic, out of my mouth without me thinking about it.
“Is that right?”
“You’re quizzing me.” I sent her a half-smile. She was so adorable. “You’re supposed to know the answers.
“Cell wall.”
I sat up and looked at her. “The concrete dividers in a jailhouse.”
“Perfect! See, you’re going to ace your civics test.”
She was the perfect medicine for my test anxiety I realized as I kissed her forehead. “You’re awesome. Have you been here long?”
I took a bite of the sandwich as we discussed our physics tests. Then, I told her my concerns about my biology exam, including the text Frank had sent me. Since he used some pretty offensive words, I paraphrased it for her.
“Frank said the test was a nightmare.”
“Is Frank in your class?”
“Everyone in honors bio takes the same exam. He texted me when it was over and said he thinks he failed.”
“Is it possible he’s teasing you?”
I took a few bites to mull over this idea. It was entirely possible. He also could have been trying to use sarcasm. Frank has the habit of forgetting you can’t be sarcastic in a text message.
“I’m an idiot,” I finally decided.
Melinda assured me I was simply stressed out, which I was. We ambled towards the TRAC, getting there early. I didn’t have much time left with her. I knew I should be studying, but I didn’t want to waste any time with her. She would be leaving while I was taking my exam.
I led Melinda to the suspended track, where we sat on the floor near the stairs. We could see the desks in the empty room below. When I told her I brought her there to say goodbye in private, she told me Walter had convinced her to let us bring her home.
“I thought you were embarrassed to be seen with me.”
Melinda sounded pained as she replied. “What? No, Pat. I’m never embarrassed to be seen with you.”
“What changed your mind?”
“Do you remember the day I met you?”
“Like it was yesterday.”
“I was standing in the servery and Walter invited me to his table. I thought I was going to be sitting with Larry and Andy and the guys. And instead, he was introducing you to me like you were normal.”
“I take offense. I’m not normal.”
She was quick. “I know, but your parents decided to send you here instead of the asylum.”
My laughter echoed in the empty space and I pulled her closer as she continued her story, telling me about when she met my parents. Eventually, she got to her point. Walter was able to convince her to join us because my parents were sending a car, not driving up themselves.
I smiled at her. “I had this fantastic goodbye kiss planned.” I tucked her hair behind her ear and drew her close.
“Why don’t we call it a good luck kiss instead?”
She leaned into me and her lips met mine. I pulled her as close as I could, trying to savor every moment of that kiss. It felt like forever and was not nearly long enough. I sat up first, pulling her as close to me as possible. Her head rested against my chest and I rested mine on hers. I held her there until people began to arrive for their exams.
The exam was not nearly as hard as I thought it was going to be and I was finished with enough time to review my answers thoroughly. With a sigh of relief, I returned to my dorm, finding the car waiting for us. As I went inside to get my bags, I texted Walter and he told me he was with Melinda. She and I reached the car at the same time, Walter having already gone to meet the driver.
The driver opened the door and took our bags as we entered the car. My mother had thought to have the car stocked with cookies and cola. My pig of a brother was already gorging himself, pressing all the buttons on the console like it was his first time in a limousine.
Melinda burst out laughing and I snuck in beside her, sitting in the seat facing him. I shook my head at him.
“You’re acting like you’ve never been in a limo before.”
Melinda was still stooped in the doorway. I grabbed her waist and pulled her into my lap. One of the best things about limos was the lack of seatbelts.
Walter played with the buttons while Melinda texted her mother our ETA, moving to sit beside me. When she put her phone away, I put my arm around her and she snuggled close and asked about my exam.
“I don’t think Frank was kidding when he said it was tough. It really wasn’t fun. But, I had studied really well, so I think I did okay. Now, we can focus on Thanksgiving.”
“What’s your Thanksgiving like?”
I stiffened. Did the limousine remind her that my family was famous? I tried to hide the derision in my voice. “You mean, how does CAVEmen celebrate Thanksgiving?”
Walter raised his eyebrows, but Melinda didn’t seem to notice my tone, although she did start tracing lazy circles on the back of my hand.
“No, how does the Irish McGregor family celebrate Thanksgiving. My family’s Italian. We have a seven-course meal.”
Walters eyes grew wide. “You’re kidding me.”
I sniggered and Melinda smiled as she described each course. When she described the meat salad she called antipasto, I thought Walter might faint. By the time she got to the dessert course, Walter was drooling.
“Okay. Here’s what we’re gonna do. When we get to your house, I’m gonna stay with you. I’ll bunk with your brother. It’ll be fine. Pat, tell Mom and Dad that I’m staying with Melinda and I’ll be home Friday. Tell them about the seven courses. They’ll understand.”
We hadn’t been able to watch Neogenesis on Friday because we were studying for our exams, so Walter had downloaded the new episode onto his phone. As we pulled onto the highway, Walter connected it to the television behind me and Melinda.
“You two take my seat.”
We switched seats and Walter sat on the floor in front of us.
I raised my eyebrows at him. “That can’t be safe.”
Walter dismissed my comment with a wave of his hand. “Ah, I’ll be fine.”
“Are you comfortable?” Melinda asked. “You don’t have to sit there.”
“Yes, I do. At some point in time, you’re going to realize you’re not going to see each other for over a week and I don’t want to witness that goodbye kiss. So, I’m staying here.”
I kicked him lightly as he pressed play, but it was actually incredibly thoughtful of him. I would have to thank him later.
I had already had that thought, and I held Melinda tightly throughout the show, playing with her hair and cherishing every moment we had.
We had been watching the show for so long, it was easy to see where the commercial breaks were supposed to be, and to know how many there were. After the last one, I sat back a little so I could see Melinda better. After glancing at my brother, who was glued to the show, I reached under her chin and turned her to face me.
The look she gave me was heart-melting. I brought my lips to hers in what had to be our most passionate kiss to date. I held her tight, my fingers itching to explore more than I allowed them to. I never wanted this kiss to end, I never wanted this night to end, but I might explode from self-control if it didn’t.
Walter swore at the television, which was just enough to break the mood. Melinda rested her head on my chest and I wondered if she could hear the irregularity in my heartbeat. I held her as tightly as I could without crushing her, whispering into her hair.
“I’m not going to be able to last a week and a half.”
“I know.”
“Come visit. Bring your family. It’ll be fun.”
Melinda didn’t respond as she cuddled closer to watch the end of the show. After it was over, Walter sat on the seat under the television and we played a word association game until we turned off the highway.
“Walter, look for Melinda’s house.” I inclined my head towards the window.
He got the hint. He started playing on his phone while I pulled Melinda close for one final kiss. Somehow, this one managed to be even more intense than the last one. My hands didn’t quite obey me as they tangled in her hair.
Melinda’s cheeks were flushed when we pulled onto her street. I pulled a ski cap low on my head and held her close until we pulled into the driveway.
When the driver opened the door, Walter and I climbed out with Melinda. Walter hugged her nearly as tightly as I had.
“Are you sure I can’t stay until tomorrow?”
She joked about him missing my mother’s colcannon, to which we all laughed. As Walter climbed back into the car, I held Melinda one last time.
After whispering how much we would miss each other, I kissed the top of her head and let her go.
I climbed in the car and watched the driver help Melinda with her bags. Melinda’s mother was waiting at the door.
Walter and I rolled down the window. As the car pulled away, we shouted “Happy Thanksgiving!”
Just before we closed the window, I heard her reply.
“Happy Thanksgiving!”
Hartfield Chronicles 