Melinda’s Story
Matt and Crystal left the party after a couple of hours, but their sisters were both given permission to spend the night. When Pat suggested swimming, we all thought that was a fantastic idea. The girls followed me to Meghan’s room to change.
Lily nodded towards me as I emerged from the bathroom.
“That’s a cute bathing suit.”
“Thanks.” I spun in a circle to make the little skirt flare out.
Sarah narrowed her eyes at me. “Is that the one you bought yesterday?”
“Yeah, I liked it because it reminds me of my ballet outfit.”
“Did you buy that cuz you knew we were coming here?” There was a slight accusation in Sarah’s tone.
I shook my head. “No. My mom told me last night on our way home. When I was packing, I decided to bring this.”
When Lily went to change in the bathroom, Sarah pulled me aside. “You’re not thinking of doing ballet in the pool again, are you?”
“I’m not crazy.”
“Just checking.”
When we went back downstairs, Pat was looking at the collection of inflatable rafts. Walter and Larry followed us into the room.
Walter ran past us to jump in. As soon as he surfaced, he swore loudly, right as Larry was jumping in after him.
“It’s freezing,” Walter declared.
Larry bobbed to the surface, also swearing loudly.
Mrs. Evans had followed them into the room. “You boys better watch those mouths. Or no supper.”
“The water’s ice cold,” Walter whined.
Everyone dipped a toe into the water, except Mrs. Evans, who kneeled at the edge to feel the water with her hand. This time, it was Mrs. Evans who swore.
“Sorry kids, I guess the heater’s broken.”
After changing back into our clothes, we returned to the playroom, where we found the boys lounging in the beanbag chairs. Larry was strumming a guitar tunelessly, although he switched to a song I recognized as we got settled. After a few bars, Sarah started singing. Soon we all were.
“Do you know Crazy Heart?” asked Lily when the song ended.
Larry smiled. “Sure. All of Marshmallow Men’s songs are the same four chords.”
Beside him, Sarah sent him a skeptical look. “You’re kidding.”
“I’m telling you. Four chords. Different order. Sometimes different key.”
He began to play Crazy Heart. When he was done, Sarah requested Sixteen Forever. Larry had a strange metal contraption at the top of his guitar that reminded me of a whale. He removed it and clamped it across the strings.
“I don’t think that’s right,” Sarah said after a few bars.
“Me neither.” Larry moved the clamp closer to the top of the guitar.
Walter shook his head. “Wrong way, man. Move the capo down three frets.”
“No way. Watch.”
Larry again played a few notes, and the song sounded even worse. Pat reached over, lifting the guitar from Larry’s hands.
Larry balked. “Hey, man! Careful.”
Pat didn’t respond as he passed the guitar to his brother. Walter placed the clamp further down the neck and played the song flawlessly.
I smiled at him at the end of the song. “Monkey Fever.”
Walter handed the guitar to his brother. “Pat’s better than me.”
Sarah, Lily and I kept requesting songs, which Pat played effortlessly. As we all sang along, Sarah snuggled with Larry in his seat and Walter moved closer to Lily.
I closed my eyes. Although I was enjoying the music and spending time with my friends, my heart broke a little watching Sarah snuggling Larry and Walter flirting with Lily.
The voices soon faded until Pat and I were the only ones singing. I was scared to open my eyes. Had everyone else forgotten the words? Or were their mouths otherwise preoccupied?
Pat started playing a tune I didn’t recognize. It didn’t sound like a Marshmallow Men song.
“I don’t know this one.” I risked opening my eyes to look at him.
The first thing I noticed was that my friends had disappeared. The second was that Pat was watching me intently. As if he were singing to me.
I miss the
way you twirl your hair,
When you think
no one else is there.
Watching you
dance beneath the stars,
Tugging at the strings of my heart.
I listened to the words as I stared into Pat’s eyes. He was singing about me. Tears stung my eyes, and I did my best to blink them back, but Pat was saying things like I had moved on and it was over, even though he still loved me. My heart broke, and I stopped fighting the tears. As they fell, I realized Pat’s eyes were watering as well.
I miss the
way I held you tight,
When we thought
everything was right,
As we danced
long into the night.
Why’d we have to say goodbye?
Why’d we have to say goodbye?
He finished the song and put the guitar on the ground gently. When I crawled into his lap, he put his arms around me, letting me cry into his chest.
“That’s a horrible song. I haven’t moved on.”
“Yeah, but I hadn’t realized that when I wrote it.”
I sat back to look at Pat in amazement. I had assumed he had heard the song somewhere. It never occurred to me that he had written it. “You wrote that? About me?”
He nodded, wiping a tear from my cheek. Emotions flooded me, and I did the only thing I could think of. I kissed him.
The funny little feeling that crept from my stomach to every inch of me was still there, but it wasn’t overpowering. I didn’t feel like bursting.
Pat sat back, surprise in his voice. “It’s different.”
“Oh.”
He had felt it, too. Maybe we had been apart for too long. I tried to climb out of the chair, but he held me tight.
“Good different. Channeling my feelings into my music? It’s helped me have more self-control. I don’t have this need to be with you all the time.”
Tears stung my eyes as I searched his. Things had changed. He didn’t love me anymore.
As if reading my thoughts, he pulled me closer. “No! That’s not what I meant.” He sighed into my hair. “I think I was obsessed with you. I couldn’t stand not being near you. Then, when I was with you, everything was so intense. But, I’ve been channeling my energy when I run. Been playing guitar more. Been thinking about things other than you. But that doesn’t mean I don’t still love you. It just means . . .”
I searched Pat’s eyes, trying to see how he felt about me. When I kissed him again, my heart stopped, and I was full to bursting with that warmth. It didn’t overwhelm me, but it comforted me. I needed this, but nothing more.
I rested my forehead against Pat’s. “Does your heart still stop?”
“Every time.”
“So, have we mastered those rules and we can be together again?”
“That depends. We have to both talk to each other.”
I nodded. “I promise.”
Pat kissed my forehead again. “Let’s not tell them yet.” He waved his hand towards the door, where I presumed my friends had magically disappeared.
I giggled. “They’ll figure it out.”
“Oh, I know. But, I wanna see if they even notice. They’re all so self-absorbed right now.”
Mrs. Evans’ voice rang out on the intercom. Pat stood so suddenly, I fell to the floor.
“Pizza’s here. You can ONLY eat it in the kitchen!”
Pat reached down to help me up. “Sorry. Reflex.”
I pulled him down for a quick kiss. We ended up being the last ones to the table.
“Okay people,” Pat announced as he stood in the middle of the theater. “There are rules to watching the show.”
Walter smirked beside him. “You have a lot of rules.”
“Yeah, and you know what happens if you break one.”
I hoped no one else understood the exchange. Walter shrank back into his seat, looking chagrined as Pat continued.
“Number one: there is to be no talking during the show. When you have a question, simply say I have a question and we will pause the show for you. Rule number two: You’re not allowed to make out during NeoGenesis. It’s just wrong.”
He was glaring at the back of the room where his parents were sitting. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know that story.
“Rule number three–”
I stared up at him. “If you don’t stop with the rules, I won’t tell you what’s going on.”
Lily giggled, and Larry applauded as Pat took his seat beside me. Walter set up the show, and we watched the highlights reel from previous episodes.
Less than five minutes into the show, Mr. Evans started complaining. “I can’t tell Stella and Luna apart anymore.”
Walter didn’t bother pausing the show as he replied. “Look for the tattoos.”
“That doesn’t work with their shirts on.”
I waved a dismissive hand. “It’s Stella. It’s been Stella. Luna’s been in a coma for like four episodes now.”
There was a chorus of “What?” as Walter paused the show. Everyone looked at me, even Sarah and Larry in front of me, and they didn’t even follow NeoGenesis.
I sighed. “Stella got infected. She tried to infect Luna, but Luna got hurt. The parasite can’t infect someone who’s injured.”
Again, this was met with “What?” I chose to ignore it.
“Stella didn’t want to kill her sister, but she couldn’t infect her. So, she put her in one of those people-freezer thingies.”
“A cryochamber?” Pat smirked.
“Yeah. She’s in the lab. Doc would have found her, but then he got infected. Actually, now that I think about it, the antidote is in the neighboring chamber.”
Walter shook his head adamantly. “Nope. Not seeing it. One day, you’re gonna be wrong. I’m guessing it’s today.”
He pressed play before anyone else could comment. At the end of the episode, someone was working near the cryochamber. As she walked away, the camera stayed on the chamber, then zoomed in until a pair of feet was visible through the frosted glass. The screen went dark.
Lily turned towards me. “You saw this already!”
“Or at least read the spoilers,” insisted Mrs. Evans.
Pat replied before I could speak. “Nah. She always does that. It’s why Walter and I watch it with her every week.”
Walter started the next episode before anyone else could say anything.
Four episodes later, we had finally watched the newest one. Larry wanted to stay up to watch another movie, but Lily decided to go to bed.
I got to my feet. “I’ll come with you. Come on, Sarah.”
“I wanna watch the movie.”
“No, you wanna make out with your boyfriend. Let’s go put our pajamas on.”
“I’m so glad my mom let me stay,” Lily said as we headed back to the bedrooms. “I had a lot of fun.”
“I think Walter likes you,” Sarah said in a sing-song voice.
“I do, too. But, it’s . . . complicated. I’m in California.”
“It’s too bad.” Sarah pouted as she pulled her own pajamas from her bag. “You guys are so cute together.”
“Are you both going back to watch the movie?” Lily asked.
I nodded. “Unless you want us to stay.”
“Nah. I’m gonna call home and then go to bed. I wanna run in the morning.”
When Sarah and I found the theater dark, I suggested we try the playroom. Walter had disappeared, but Larry was sitting in a beanbag chair in front of the television.
Sarah smiled and cuddled with Larry. “Ooh. This is much better than that theater!”
Before I could sit beside them, Pat took my hand, bringing me to the other side of the room. He arranged the chairs in a way that we could still chaperone our friends before sitting and pulling me into his lap.
That overwhelming feeling consumed me as I kissed Pat. He held me close, whispering into my hair. “I’ve missed this.”
I twirled his hair. “Kissing?”
Pat ran his hands absently through my hair. “No. I’ve missed being close to you. But I really miss talking to you.”
“Me, too. There were so many times I wanted to text you, call you, share something with you.”
“Do you remember when we went tubing? You told me about how your friends had changed?”
“Those were the girls you met at the ice cream place that day.”
“The day we broke up?”
I had been trying to avoid saying those words. He must have sensed my discomfort. He pulled me close, kissing the top of my head.
I traced lazy circles on his arm. “What about it?”
“I’ve been thinking a lot about that. Losing your friends because you’ve changed. And, I spent a lot of the last few weeks wondering, if you and I had never been together, would I have changed the same way as Zach and Frank?”
“I used to think that, too. Wondering if I would have turned into . . . whatever Brittney and Casey turned into. But, then I realized, it doesn’t matter. Because I like who I am. And I’m glad you didn’t turn into your friends.”
“I like to hope I would never be so disrespectful. But, I keep thinking back to that day in the pool . . .”
I smiled at Pat. “Sarah saw my bathing suit and asked if I was gonna do ballet in the pool again.”
“Walter glared at me for even mentioning the pool. But that’s not what I meant. I meant, it wasn’t just you and I that day. There were a few times I lost control, or nearly did, when Walter was around. And, I didn’t care.”
“You didn’t tell me a lot about what happened with your friends. Did they tell you they were sorry?”
“Haven’t spoken to any of them since.”
“I don’t think they feel guilty about what happened.”
“When I was yelling at them, Zach gave Frank a fist bump. I think they were proud of each other.”
“That’s disgusting. And that’s why you’re not like them. You feel guilty. And you’re probably going to try to make sure it never happens again.”
Pat pulled me close, kissing the top of my head. “You know me so well. It scares me sometimes. I’ve missed you so much.”
When I kissed him, that familiar warmth extended to the tips of my fingers and toes. My heart stopped. I loved him.
Melinda’s Journal
Saturday, January 27
Strings of My Heart
By Pat Evans
As I lie in bed at night
Tucked beneath the covers tight
One thing races through my mind
I MISS YOU
Ev’rything we had was great
I thought it was sure as fate
We would never separate
I MISS YOU
I miss the
way you twirl your hair
When you think
no one else is there
Watching you
dance beneath the stars
Tugging at the strings of my heart
I saw you just yesterday
A smile on your face to say
You are happier this way
I MISS YOU
I know that you have moved on
And that what we had is gone
I am feeling so with drawn
I MISS YOU
I miss the
way I held you tight
When we thought
everything was right
As we danced
long into the night
Why’d we have to say good-bye?
I know that it’s over
And things will never be the same,
But I will always love you
And all you have to say.
I miss the
way I held you tight
When we thought
everything was right
As we danced
long in to the night
Why’d we have to say good-bye?
Why’d we have to say good-bye?
Pat’s Story
Overall, my party seemed to go without a hitch. Crystal and Matt got along great and never seemed to run out of things to talk about. I knew they were too young for a serious relationship, but I hoped that they would at least become close friends.
Matt could only stay a few hours and left before supper. Not long after, Sarah’s parents came to collect Crystal. Both Lily and Sarah had been given permission to spend the night. The girls were going to have a sleepover in Meghan’s room.
While we waited for supper, we started talking about what to do next. When I suggested swimming, Walter glared at me. I had no idea why.
I was the first one downstairs. Mom and Dad were reading in the living room.
“We’re going swimming.”
Mom looked up. “Wait for your friends. And behave yourselves.”
What did she think we were going to do? Go skinny dipping? The girls came downstairs before Larry and my brother. How was that even possible? As the girls walked to the pool, Walter sped past them and cannonballed into the water.
Larry followed as Walter surfaced. As Larry went under, Walter swore loudly.
“It’s freezing.”
Larry’s head popped back out of the water. He also swore loudly.
Mom suddenly appeared from the living room. “You boys better watch those mouths, or no supper.”
Walter swam to the edge. “The water’s ice cold.”
Everyone dipped a toe into the water, except Mom, who felt the water with her hand. This time, it was Mom who swore. I saw Walter smirk as he hoisted himself out of the pool. Mom looked at the rest of us.
“Sorry kids, I guess the heater’s broken.”
Everyone went back upstairs, agreeing to meet in the video game room after changing back into our clothes. I checked in with Mom to see if she would order the pizza.
She raised her eyebrows at me. “Are you sure about this meat pie? It sounds disgusting.”
“We’re gonna need two. And two cheese pizzas, too.”
“I stocked the theater for your movie marathon. If, somehow, four pizzas isn’t enough, you can fill up on that.”
I kissed Mom on the cheek. “Thanks.”
After changing back into my jeans, I found the guys lounging on the beanbag chairs. Larry was playing random chords on Walter’s guitar. As soon as the girls sat beside them, Larry started playing a song I recognized. Sarah started singing and everyone else joined her. After the last chord, Lily turned to Larry.
“Do you know Crazy Heart?”
Larry smiled. “Sure. All of Marshmallow Men’s songs are the same four chords.”
Sarah looked unconvinced. “You’re kidding.”
“I’m telling you. Four chords. Different order. Sometimes different key.” He played the song with little effort. Again, everyone sang along.
When Sarah requested Sixteen Forever, Larry took the capo from the head of the guitar and placed it on the second fret. As soon as he began to play, we all cringed.
Sarah shook her head. “I don’t think that’s right.”
“Me neither.” Larry moved the capo up a key. I didn’t think that was right. Walter must have agreed with me.
“Wrong way, man. Move the capo down three frets.”
“No way. Watch.”
The song sounded even worse as Larry played. I had to end the torture. I reached over and stole the guitar right out of Larry’s hands.
Larry was horrified. “Hey, man! Careful.”
Wordlessly, I passed it to my brother. Walter put the capo where he had instructed Larry, then played the song perfectly.
When he was done, Melinda requested Monkey Fever. Walter handed me the guitar.
“Pat’s better than me.”
He was right. Larry had been right, too. There really were only four chords. The songs took little effort. I moved the capo a couple of keys higher and began strumming.
I had been playing Hazel in the common room long enough that I wasn’t too embarrassed playing in front of these guys. But it was weird. Everyone was singing, so I didn’t have to. That made things a little easier.
The girls kept requesting songs, and I kept playing. I was going to hand the guitar back to Larry, but Sarah had climbed into his lap and he seemed to prefer her to the instrument. Once Sarah vacated her seat, Walter had taken it, probably to get closer to Lily.
I was in the middle of Keepsakes when Walter whispered something in Sarah’s ear.
Sarah looked between me and Walter a few times, then whispered in Walter’s ear. Larry was singing loudly, so there was no way I could overhear what they were saying. Walter was smirking. I knew he was talking about me.
Sarah turned to me, signing wordlessly. “Walter says to play the song you wrote.”
I looked at my brother and he nodded eagerly. I shook my head and kept playing Marshmallow Men songs. During the next one, Larry and Sarah slipped out of the room. Near the end of the song, Walter whispered to Lily, and they left as well.
Melinda had been singing with her eyes closed. After Larry left, I had to sing, too. When we were alone, I thought about what my brother had said. I decided to go for it.
I played the chorus twice as an intro, then switched to the more up tempo first verse and, watching Melinda, began singing.
As I lie in bed at night, Tucked beneath the covers tight One thing races through my mind I-I-I mi-i-i-ss yo-o-ou. Ev’rything we had was great I thought it was sure as fate We would never separate I-I-I mi-i-i-ss yo-o-ou.
“I don’t know this one.” Melinda opened her eyes. I looked right into them as I slowed down slightly for the chorus.
I miss the
way you twirl your hair,
When you think
no one else is there.
Watching you
dance beneath the stars,
Tugging at the strings of my heart.
Melinda’s gaze never left mine. Did she realized this was her song?
I saw you just yesterday A smile on your face to say You are happier this way I-I-I mi-i-i-ss yo-o-ou. I know that you have moved on And that what we had is gone I am feeling so withdrawn I-I-I mi-i-i-ss yo-o-ou.
Melinda shook her head. She looked like she wanted to speak, but I just plowed ahead into the chorus.
I miss the
way I held you tight,
When we thought
everything was right,
As we danced
long into the night.
Why’d we have to say goodbye?
There were tears in Melinda’s eyes, but I needed to make it through the bridge. I changed to an almost ballad-like rhythm.
I know that it’s o-ver And things will ne-ver be- the same, but I will al-ways love you And all you have to say----
Melinda was blinking rapidly, probably trying to hold back the tears. I felt my own eyes water. I looked down as I played a little solo. When I looked back for the final chorus, tears streaked her face.
I miss the
way I held you tight,
When we thought
everything was right,
As we danced
long into the night.
Why’d we have to say goodbye?
Why’d we have to say goodbye?
I put down the guitar, and she climbed into my arms, burying her head against my chest.
“That’s a horrible song,” she said. “I haven’t moved on.”
“Yeah, but I hadn’t realized that when I wrote it.”
Melinda sat back to look at me. “You wrote that? About me?”
I nodded, wiping a tear from her cheek. She kissed me, long and deep. And I didn’t feel the need to have more. This was just enough. I sat back.
“It’s different.” I could hear the surprise in my voice.
“Oh.” Melinda tried to get away, but I held her tight.
“Good different. Channeling my feelings into my music? It’s helped me to have more self-control. I don’t have this need to be with you all the time.”
Melinda looked at me. Fresh tears formed in her eyes. At first, I thought they were tears of joy, but when the corners of her lips turned down, I realized I had hurt her. I replayed what I had said in my head and realized she could have heard it an entirely different way.
“No! That’s not what I meant.” I pulled her close and sighed into her hair. “I think I was obsessed with you. I couldn’t stand not being near you. Then, when I was with you, everything was so intense. But, I’ve been channeling my energy when I run. Been playing guitar more. Been thinking about things other than you. But that doesn’t mean I don’t still love you. It just means . . .”
She looked in my eyes as I trailed off, then kissed me again. My heart stopped beating normally, and a charge surged through my body. I still loved her. But I was content and not trying to seek more.
Melinda rested her forehead against mine. “Does your heart still stop?”
“Every time.”
“So, have we mastered those rules and we can be together again?”
“That depends. We have to both talk to each other.”
Melinda nodded. “I promise.”
I kissed her forehead again. “Let’s not tell them yet.” I gestured towards the door. I had no idea where everyone had disappeared to.
Melinda giggled. “They’ll figure it out.”
“Oh, I know. But, I wanna see if they even notice. They’re all so self-absorbed right now.”
Mom’s voice on the intercom had me jumping out of my seat, dropping Melinda onto the floor.
“Pizza’s here. You can ONLY eat it in the kitchen!”
I reached down to help Melinda up. “Sorry. Reflex.”
She pulled me down for a quick kiss. We were the last ones to the table.
“Okay people,” I said as everyone found seats in the theater. Melinda and Walter were sitting on either side of where I was standing. “There are rules to watching the show.”
Walter smirked. “You have a lot of rules.”
I glared at him. “Yeah, and you know what happens if you break one.”
Walter looked properly embarrassed and shut up. I continued.
“Number one: there is to be no talking during the show. When you have a question, simply say I have a question and we will pause the show for you. Rule number two: You’re not allowed to make out during NeoGenesis. It’s just wrong.”
I glared at Mom and Dad in the back row. I didn’t care that it had been a rerun and was months ago. They should have known better.
“Rule number three—”
Melinda smiled up at me. “If you don’t stop with the rules, I won’t tell you what’s going on.”
Larry applauded while Lily giggled from the other side of Walter. I sat down with a pout. Melinda took my hand in hers, and that made me feel better. Walter had the remote and started the show. We were still in the first scene when Dad started whining.
“I can’t tell Stella and Luna apart anymore.”
“Look for the tattoos.” Walter didn’t bother to pause the show.
“That doesn’t work with their shirts on.”
Melinda never took her eyes off the screen. “It’s Stella. It’s been Stella. Luna’s been in a coma for like four episodes now.”
“What?” Everyone in the room turned to look at her wide-eyed. Even Sarah and Larry, who probably had no idea what Melinda was talking about.
Melinda sighed. “Stella got infected. She tried to infect Luna, but Luna got hurt. The parasite can’t infect someone who’s injured.”
“What?” Again, all of us were in shock. How does she figure this stuff out?
Melinda rolled her eyes, but I didn’t know what she was trying to say. “Stella didn’t want to kill her sister, but she couldn’t infect her. So, she put her in one of those people freezer thingies.”
Melinda could be really adorable when looking for a vocabulary word. I smiled at her. “A cryochamber?”
“Yeah. She’s in the lab. Doc would have found her, but then he got infected. Actually, now that I think about it, the antidote is in the neighboring chamber.”
Walter shook his head. “Nope. Not seeing it. One day, you’re gonna be wrong. I’m guessing it’s today.”
He pressed play before anyone else could comment. I put my arm around Melinda and she nuzzled a little closer. The theater seats may be comfortable, but they were not meant for snuggling.
Every so often, I could see Larry in front of me trying to kiss his girlfriend. I reminded him of the rules by kicking his seat. It took about five times before he realized I was serious.
In the final scene, the camera panned in to show there was a person in one of the cryochambers. Beside me, Walter swore as he set up the next episode.
Lily leaned around him to look at Melinda. “You saw this already!”
Mom spoke up from the back of the room. “Or at least read the spoilers.”
I was a little upset that everyone was accusing my girlfriend of cheating when she was really just extremely observant. I felt the need to defend her. “Nah. She always does that. It’s why Walter and I watch it with her every week.”
Walter started the next episode before anyone else could say anything.
Four episodes later, we had finally caught up. Mom stood up.
“Well, it’s past my bedtime. Anyone going to Mass in the morning, we are leaving at nine.” She waved as she and Dad left the room.
Larry put his hand over his head. “I wanna watch a real movie.” He motioned for Walter to pass him the remote.
Lily stood as well. “I think I’m gonna go to bed, too.”
Melinda squeezed my hand. “I’ll come with you. Come on, Sarah.”
Sarah pouted as she faced her roommate. “I wanna watch the movie.”
“No, you wanna make out with your boyfriend. Let’s go put our pajamas on.”
When the girls left, I grabbed the remote from Larry and turned off the screen. He turned to glare at me.
“What’d you do that for? I was gonna watch that.”
“Trust me, you wanna go in the other room.”
Walter opted to go to bed and I let Larry figure out which movie he wanted to watch. He had just started it when the girls reappeared.
Sarah made a cooing sound as she plopped into Larry’s lap. “Oooh. This is much better than that theater!”
I sent Larry a look that said I told you so. He responded with a rude hand gesture.
Before Melinda could sit, I took her hand and led her to the other side of room. I sat where I could monitor Larry, pulling Melinda into my lap.
After a very satisfying kiss, I held her close and whispered into her hair. “I’ve missed this.”
“Kissing?” She smiled as she played with my hair.
I twirled hers. “No. I’ve missed being close to you. But I really miss talking to you.”
“Me, too. There were so many times I wanted to text you, call you, share something with you.”
I pulled her a little closer. “Do you remember when we went tubing? You told me about how your friends had changed?”
“Those were the girls you met at the ice cream place that day.”
“The day we broke up?” I pulled her close, kissing the top of her head.
“What about it?”
“I’ve been thinking a lot about that. Losing your friends because you’ve changed. And, I spent a lot of the last few weeks wondering, if you and I had never been together, would I have changed the same way as Zach and Frank?”
Melinda nodded absently. “I used to think that, too. Wondering if I would have turned into . . . whatever Brittany and Casey turned into. But then, I realized it doesn’t matter. Because I like who I am. And I’m glad you didn’t turn into your friends.”
“I like to hope I would never be so disrespectful. But, I keep thinking back to that day in the pool . . .”
Melinda smiled at me. “Sarah saw my bathing suit and asked if I was gonna do ballet in the pool again.”
“Walter glared at me for even mentioning the pool. But, that’s not what I meant. I meant, it wasn’t just you and I that day. There were a couple of times I lost control, or nearly did, when Walter was around. And, I didn’t care.”
“You didn’t tell me a lot about what happened with your friends. Did they tell you they were sorry?”
I shook my head. “Haven’t spoken to any of them since.”
“I don’t think they feel guilty about what happened.”
“When I was yelling at them, Zach gave Frank a fist bump. I think they were proud of each other.”
“That’s disgusting. And that’s why you’re not like them. You feel guilty. And, you’re probably gonna try to make sure it never happens again.”
I pulled her close, kissing the top of her head. “You know me so well. It scares me sometimes. I’ve missed you so much.”
She pulled away from me just enough to kiss me. My heart started racing and electricity surged through my body. And, I reminded myself how much I loved her and respected her. And it was enough.
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.
Hartfield Chronicles 