Melinda’s Story

The next morning, I discovered that there was a significant advantage to having my dean as one of my house advisors. Before I left for my first period music class, Sally stopped by to inform me that my ID would grant me elevator access in all buildings. This was fantastic news, since I used stairs to get to nearly every class.

My ankle didn’t cause me any trouble in music. Mr. Stone let me prop my leg on an extra chair and use my cold pack. Physics, however, was much more difficult. The lab benches were designed for standing, not sitting. Although Mr. Wilson dragged a chair into the lab from a nearby classroom, he didn’t bring a second one for my foot. As it was, Melinda had a difficult time finding a place to put my chair that was out of the way. Eventually, he directed me to a work in the corner, where a fourth-former named Erica was still looking for a partner.

Erica figured out a way for me to stand up one of my crutches and rest my ankle on the handle. She then suggested i keep track of the data while she manipulated the experiment. I was so grateful, I made sure to record all the data in Erica’s notebook as well as my own, instead of making Erica copy it all down later. I also offered Erica a ride in the elevator to the second floor exit, while I waited for Sarah in the fishbowl lounge.

I had spent most of the morning looking forward to lunch, where I could just hang out with her closest friends and not hear what happened to you? every five minutes. Until i walked into the dining hall.

I turned to my roommate. “I can’t carry a tray.”

Sarah giggled. “That’s okay. You just pretend you’re Walter. I’ll take your food on my tray.” Walter had a habit of ordering and eating more food than could fit on a single tray, so he often had friends, usually me, carry some of it for him.

To make things a little easier for Sarah, i decided not to make her follow me around the servery. I just ordered the same entrée as Sarah, chicken tenders and fries. While Sarah filled some glasses of water for us, i hobbled to our usual table, choosing a seat that allowed me to prop my leg on the half-wall behind us. I was sort of halfway between Larry and Walter, my back to the servery. Walter pointed his fork at me as i leaned my crutches against the wall .

“Question for you. Have you told your mom about your ankle yet?”

“No. Why?”

Sarah sat on the opposite side of Larry, passing me my food. Walter ignored her.

“Are you gonna?”

“Yeah. During my free period. Why?”

Walter didn’t answer me. “Okay, good. Next question: Are you going to the library next period?”

Our Latin teacher had a Thursday free day, so Melinda and i usually went to our study room during the extra lunch period. But i didn’t feel like walking more than i had to today.

“Probably not. I was gonna just sit on the couches over by the entrance.”

“May I join you?”

“Only if you tell me why you’re acting weird.”

“I’m not acting weird.”

“Yeah, you are. For starters, you only have one plate in front of you. That’s just wrong. Second, you’re talking to me and there’s no food in your mouth. On top of that, you’re talking all formal and cryptic.”

“Good vocab word.” Pat came up behind me, kissing the top of my head as he sat beside me.

I turned to him. “Thanks. Where’ve you been?”

“I had to go talk to a teacher really quick. Can we study together after lunch?”

“I just told Walter I’m not going to the library. I’m gonna hang out on the couches just outside.”

“May I join you?” Pat asked the question in such a near perfect imitation of his brother that Sarah, Larry, and i burst out laughing. He looked around.

“What?”

“Nothing.” I smiled at him, patting his cheek. “You’re cute, that’s all.”

---

“Melinda? Is everything okay?” My mother sounded a little panicked as she answered the phone a little while later. I had settled myself onto one of the couches in the lounge, my foot resting on its arm, while Pat and Walter sat on nearby couches, playing on their phones. I had the impression they might actually be texting each other.

My mothers voice brought me back to our conversation. “You don’t usually call during the day.”

“It’s a free period right now. I needed to talk to you about something.”

“Is it about that dance class?”

“Sorta. I can’t go. I can’t dance this term.”

“Why not?”

“Well, last night, when I was walking home from CCD, I sorta slipped. And, I broke my ankle.”

“Oh! Melinda!”

“I’m okay now. Pat was with me and he ran and got a teacher and they brought me to the infirmary. My advisor, Clarissa? She came and stayed with me and brought me home. And, I’m doing a lot better today. I have this air cast brace thing to wear and crutches, so it really doesn’t hurt too much anymore.”

“Do you want me to come there?”

“I did. But, I’m all better now. Everyone’s helping me, especially Sarah.”

“Good. You call me if you need anything. Even if it’s during study hours. Did the doctor say how long you’ll need the brace?”

“I go back in two weeks, but he thought maybe two months. No dancing this term.”

“I’m so sorry, baby girl. I know you’re disappointed.”

 I spoke with her a few minutes longer. As soon as i ended the call, Pat smirked at me.

“How has Sarah been especially helpful?”

Walter nodded towards me. “She carried Melinda’s lunch.”

Pat threw his ski cap at his brother. “Which should be your job, doofus, since Melinda’s always carrying yours.”

I shook my head. “It’s embarrassing.”

Walter wiggled his eyebrows. “Oh, see, that was the wrong thing to say.”

“Did she help you get dressed this morning?” Pat asked with a mischievous grin.

I glared at the boys. “I need something to throw at you. It’s just, you know how Sarah and I eat our protein bars on our way to the VAPAC in the morning? Well, this morning, we didn’t give ourselves enough time and we were running late. Mr. Stone told us no food in class. So, we literally had to eat while we were walking.”

“I’m trying to find the embarrassing here,” said Walter.

I could feel my face growing warm. I stared at a spot on the wall behind the two boys. “Well, it’s not like I can hold the protein bar and my crutches. So, Sarah had to hold my protein bar. She held it up so I could take a bite as we walked, until it was all gone.”

I could see the boys trying not to laugh. They weren’t successful. That just made me more embarrassed and I stared at my broken ankle. It was the cause of all my problems today.

 Eventually, Pat recovered enough to sit on the floor beside me, throwing an arm around my shoulder. “Sorry. I’m not laughing at your story. Personally, I think it’s cute that you find that embarrassing.”

I frowned, playing absently with his hair as I looked across the room.

“Hey, Walter? Member how you didn’t want anyone to know that Pat was your brother because you were scared they would treat you weird?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Have they?”

“Not really. Why? Are you gonna say I told you so?”

“No. I needed advice. Suddenly, everyone wants to be my bff.”

“Because you’re my girlfriend?”  Pat withdrew his arm, shifting around as if trying to get more comfortable.

“No. No one cares about that anymore. I can’t tell if it’s because my crutches are cool or because of my elevator pass.”

“You have an elevator pass?” Pat turned to face me. “Can I be your bff?”

“No. You can’t.” I smiled, patting his head. “You have to settle for being my bf.”

Walter had a sudden urge to tie his shoe, allowing Pat to lean in for a quick kiss.

Melinda’s Journal

Thursday, December 7

When I first started at Hartfield, I was annoyed that, since we do not have a regular PE class, all students are required to take a sport. I’m a dancer, not an athlete. So, I was thrilled when I learned I could take dance classes as my sport.

Without dance, how am I supposed to fulfill that mandatory sports requirement? Maybe I can petition that hoppling around campus on my crutches is more strenuous than ballet?

Pat’s Story

The next morning, I got to try my new app while I was running with Walter. I then waited a full three laps before voicing the question that I had wanted to ask as soon as I had seen him that morning.

“So, what did Melinda want to talk to you about last night?”

“You.”

He said it so simply, it caught me off-guard. I nearly tripped. It took me a few paces to catch up to him again. I thought I saw him snicker.

“What do you mean, she wanted to talk about me?”

“We talked about a lot of things. She mentioned walking to church on Sunday. So, I spent study hours doing a lot of research. There’s a program I think you should look into.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Why?”

“Because it will let you drive Melinda to church.”

“I can’t. I’ve got a restricted license until March.”

“Yeah, but they wave the restrictions with this program. Just look it up during your free period today. I think you’ll like it. It’s called Drive Me Home.”

I didn’t have a morning free period. After a quick shower, I researched it before my math class and I liked what I saw. Enough to visit the community service office during my double period lunch. I was disappointed Mrs. Lindgren wasn’t available, but I made an appointment to see her seventh period.

Walter and Melinda’s Latin class had their free period today, so we spent the second half of our double lunch period in the lounge outside the dining hall. While Melinda called her mother, my phone buzzed in my hand.

My brother was texting me from the neighboring couch. He wanted to know if I had researched Drive Me Home. I raised my eyebrows at him, but he sent me a second text, telling me he wanted to surprise Melinda.

While she talked to her mother, explaining about her broken ankle and lamenting about her dance class, I told Walter I was going to talk to the community service director at the end of the day. He launched into a multi-phased plan that would ultimately have me being his and Melinda’s chauffeur every Sunday. I glazed over his texts, occasionally nodding at him instead of replying. I figured I could read about it later.

When Melinda finished her phone call, I had to tease her about something I had overheard her tell her mother. “How has Sarah been especially helpful?”

Walter nodded at her. “She carried Melinda’s lunch.”

I threw my ski cap at him. “Which should be your job, doofus, since Melinda’s always carrying yours.” Walter had a tendency to eat more entrées than could fit on a single cafeteria tray. Since he was often with Melinda, she usually took his extra food to the table for him.

Melinda wouldn’t meet my eye. “It’s embarrassing.”

I sat up a little straighter. So did Walter. He sent her a smirk. “Oh, see, that was the wrong thing to say.”

I wiggled my eyebrows. “Did she help you get dressed this morning?”

Melinda glared at me. She was so adorable. “I need something to throw at you. It’s just, you know how Sarah and I eat our protein bars on the way to the VAPAC in the morning? Well, this morning we didn’t give ourselves enough time, and we were running late. Mr. Stone told us no food in class. So, we literally had to eat while we were walking.”

Walter smiled. “I’m trying to find the embarrassing here.”

Melinda’s face turned red and she wouldn’t look either of us in the eye. “Well, it’s not like I can hold the protein bar and my crutches. So, Sarah had to hold my protein bar. She held it up so I could take a bite as we walked until it was all gone.”

Walter and I exchanged glances. We both tried really hard not to laugh. I could see him straining. I probably could have managed it if I hadn’t looked at him. But, I had. We both started laughing, and it took a moment to recover.

When I could breathe again,  I crossed the room so I could sit with Melinda. I made myself comfortable on the floor in front of her, putting my arm around her the best I could. “Sorry. I’m not laughing at your story. Personally, I think it’s cute that you find that embarrassing.”

I could tell Melinda wasn’t really mad, even though she tried to glare at us. She started playing with my hair absently as she turned to face my brother as best she could with her leg elevated.

“Hey, Walter? Member how you didn’t want anyone to know that Pat was your brother because you thought they would treat you weird?”

How could he not? It was the entire last term.

He smiled sheepishly. “Yeah. Why?”

“Have they?”

He shrugged. “Not really. Why? Are you gonna say I told you so?”

Melinda shook her head. “No. I needed advice. Suddenly, everyone wants to be my bff.”

I withdrew my arm and tried to get more comfortable. “Because you’re my girlfriend?”

“No. No one cares about that anymore. I can’t tell if it’s because my crutches are cool or because of my elevator pass.”

“You have an elevator pass?” I turned to face her. “Ooo! Can I be your BFF?”

Melinda smiled and patted my head like she might pat a dog. “No. You can’t. You have to settle for being my BF.”

I didn’t care that my brother was in the room. She was so adorable, I had to kiss her right then. I kissed her until I thought my heart might leap out of my chest, then gave her a quick peck on the top of her head as I stood and returned to my chair across the room. Melinda sent me a sweet smile before disappearing into her music history textbook. Walter sent me a smirk from behind his programming textbook.

Attention Hammerheads

Melinda is always trying to build her vocabulary. What were some words in this episode that were new to you? She will add them to her vocabulary journal.