Melinda’s Journal
Saturday, February 3
Although Pat and I have been together since November (I’m just going to forget about that month we temporarily broke up), we have never gone on a double date with another couple. In fact, I’ve never been on a double date in my life.
This morning, Pat’s lab partner, my prefect Bethany, invited him and me out for dinner with her and her boyfriend, Will. In town. On an actual double date. We are going out to eat.
When Pat first told me about the invitation, I thought it sounded fun. But the more I think about it, the more nervous I become. I’m not exactly sure what I’m supposed to do on a double date.
Plus, Bethany and Will are seniors! That makes things just so much harder. Pat gets along with everyone, and he has stuff in common with Bethany and Will. But what can I talk about with them? I’m not applying to colleges. I don’t have any classes with either of them. Sure, Will and I are both in Wind Orchestra, but I am so sick of rehearsals that’s one of the last topics I want to broach tonight.
If two’s company and three’s a crowd, what does that make four?
Melinda’s Story
After such a grueling workout, I wanted a shower before heading into town. I changed my outfit three times before I found something sophisticated enough to spend the evening with upper-formers. I needed my roommate’s opinion, but Sarah had disappeared with Larry after the basketball game to get pizza in town.
Grabbing my coat, I opened my door, nearly running into Walter.
I didn’t like the expression on his face. “Hey. You okay? You don’t look okay.”
He pointed to my bed. “Can I sit?”
I nodded. “Of course. I’ll go find an advisor.”
“Price gave me co-ed.”
Technically, the door was supposed to stay open when boys visited, so I only closed it partway before sitting beside Walter, backs against the wall. “What’s wrong?”
“I got another pin today. My ninth this season.”
I frowned. “Why don’t you sound happy about it?”
Walter sighed. “I was ecstatic. I tied the record for number of pins by a freshman. My teammates were all celebrating with me. For about a minute. Then, I went to get some water and when I turned around, Chloe was standing like, right there.”
“Chloe?” I couldn’t quite keep the surprise out of my voice. I hadn’t heard that name in a couple of months. When I had first met the sixth-former, I had been mesmerized by the older girl’s sophistication. She had been one of Pat’s best friends and I had almost admired her. Over the past few months, however, her behavior had become so abominable, I had lost a lot of my respect for her.
Walter nodded. “There’s something not right with her. But the way she was talking, she sounded like she wanted to go make out or something. And it was really creepy.”
“What’d she say?”
Walter shrugged. “Something like, she used to see me as Meghan’s little brother, but I’m not so little anymore. But it wasn’t so much what she said as how she said it. Her voice was all, I don’t know, sultry. Lascivious.” Walter shuddered involuntarily.
I wasn’t positive what those words meant, but I had a pretty good idea. I sent him a sympathetic look. “Do you want a hug?”
Walter smiled. “Yeah.”
I gave him a comforting embrace. As I sat back, I smiled at him. “Hey. Aren’t you meeting Erica tonight? I suggest you forget about Chloe.”
Walter climbed off the bed with a nod. “Thanks for listening.”
“It’s what I’m here for. Oh. Hey. What do you think? Am I dressed okay for a double date with two seniors?”
Walter smiled. “Perfect.”
I grabbed my coat. “You have no idea, do you?”
“Clueless.”
Laughing, I followed Walter out of the dorm.
Pat was waiting for me outside the humanities building, wrapped in a scarf. Although it was chilly, I knew the scarf was so no one would recognize him in town.
He held out a hand as I neared. “All set?”
I nodded. “Yup. Where’re we going?”
Pat led the way behind the dorms toward town. “Well, Bethany suggested burgers at that pub in the center of town.”
I sent him a quizzical look. “Pub? As in bar?” I doubted we’d be allowed in.
Pat laughed. “Nah. It’s just a restaurant.”
I frowned. “You know? I don’t think I’ve eaten anywhere except the pizza parlor and the coffee shop.”
“I’ve been here before. I think you’ll like it.”
As we crossed the street, another thought popped into my head. I usually didn’t like other people, even Pat, paying for me. If I couldn’t pay my own way, I shouldn’t be eating out. But how did that apply to a double date?
I squeezed Pat’s hand through our thick gloves. “I have a very practical question. Who’s paying?”
Pat laughed. “You would ask that. We can probably just ask to split the check. Done it before.”
Bethany and Will were already waiting for us at the restaurant. Since it was a Saturday night in a small town, the place was very crowded. I could see lots of families mixed in with the couples and small groups. That made me feel a little better about being at a pub.
I immediately apologized for being late. “I hope you weren’t waiting long. I was dancing, and I wasn’t watching the clock.”
Bethany shook her head. “Nah. We’ve only been here a few minutes. They said ten minutes.”
While we waited for a table, Pat asked Will about today’s hockey game. Bethany rolled her eyes in my direction. “Boys. They’ll talk sports all day if we let them.”
Will feigned annoyance. “I think saving ten goals warrants a little boasting. You’re just bitter because we won, and you lost.”
The hostess called Will’s name, interrupting their playful banter. Bethany glanced at her watch as we headed to the hostess stand. “Nice. That was barely five minutes.”
The hostess led us to a table in the corner, where Pat and I sat with our backs to the room. I scanned the menu, but there were so many choices I had no idea what to order. I glanced at my companions. “I’ve never been here before. What do you guys recommend?”
Will pointed to his menu. “Well, I’m getting this bacon cheeseburger with onion rings.”
Pat tried to find it on his own menu. “Are the onion rings on the side?”
“On the burger, dude.”
“That sounds fantastic.”
“Exactly like what your brother would order.” I tried to hide my smirk behind my menu, but Pat still elbowed me playfully.
Bethany just shook her head. “Well, I’m torn between the cajun burger with caramelized onions or the cheeseburger with a fried egg on it.”
“That sounds good, too,” Pat agreed. “I was going to get the crispy chicken sandwich with the bacon and avocado. Now I have no idea.”
I giggled. “You guys are no help whatsoever.”
The table was silent as we studied the menu with an intensity that suggested the server would be testing us on its contents. All the sandwiches everyone had suggested sounded fantastic, but each one had something I wasn’t really in the mood for. I had almost figured out what to get when the server arrived.
Everyone else was ready to order, so I made them all go first. I needed the extra minute to decide between Will’s bacon cheeseburger or Pat’s chicken sandwich. Neither sounded perfect. My eyes landed on the final burger on the menu: Create your own. That was exactly what I wanted. I ordered a burger with both grilled onions and onion rings. They both sounded too good to choose between them.
As soon as the server left, Bethany folded her arms on the table and narrowed her eyes at Pat. “What’s up with you?”
Pat raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
“When the server was here, you started acting all weird. Hiding behind your menu and talking funny.”
Pat shook his head, obviously dumbfounded. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
I sent Pat a confused look. “Sure you do. You do it all the time when we’re doing DMH.”
“Do what?”
“Disguise your voice and kind of hide your face so that no one recognizes you.”
Bethany snorted. “That’s what that’s all about? Wow. Egocentric much?”
Pat glowered at her. “Would you like to see what happens if I let the server recognize me? Because I can guarantee you won’t enjoy your supper.”
I understood why Pat was upset. He had once told me a story about eating out with his family. After being recognized by the server, there had been so much commotion, his family had to finish their meal in the car.
But it didn’t mean he had to yell at Bethany. I put a hand on his leg. He glared at me a moment before sighing and softening his gaze.
He turned back to Bethany. “Sorry. That was uncalled for. It’s a sensitive topic.”
Bethany shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. I forgot. I’ve gotten so used to you on campus, I’ve never considered what it would be like to be out in public with you.”
I decided it was time to change the subject. I turned to Will. “So, how was your long weekend?”
While we waited for our food, the conversation turned from long weekends to colleges, but I didn’t feel left out. Although I couldn’t relate to Bethany and Will, I enjoyed listening to them discuss what subjects they were interested in studying next year.
Eventually, our food arrived, and I was glad I had designed my meal. It was one of the best burgers I had ever tasted.
We were finishing the last bites of our meals and looking over the dessert menu when Bethany learned exactly what would happen if someone recognized Pat.
The server was clearing away our empty plates when Pat glanced in her direction. She wasn’t much older than us and recognized Pat instantly, despite the long hair. The plates in her hands shattered on the floor as she started screaming hysterically. Everyone in the restaurant turned to see what had happened. The server could not stop shrieking.
I didn’t panic. Although I rarely thought of my boyfriend as Patrick McGregor, I had been out with him enough times that I had wondered how to handle situations like this.
I placed a hand on Pat’s leg, speaking under my breath as he turned to me. “Get out of here.”
“Board games,” he mumbled as he hurriedly put on his jacket.
I understood his cryptic message and nodded. People were gathering around our table. Pat pushed through a forest of cell phones as he made his way out of the restaurant.
A harried-looking manager approached, glancing between his server, the table, and the mess on the floor. “What happened?”
The server was nearly hyperventilating. “That was—that was—Patrick—McGregor!”
I looked at Bethany and Will. They both seemed flabbergasted. Clearly, neither of them had ever anticipated such a scenario. I was a horrible liar, but hopefully there was enough commotion no one would notice.
I turned to the manager. “Patrick McGregor? Seriously? No way. We were just looking at the dessert menu and she started screaming. My friend got freaked out.”
Will nodded. “Yeah. He doesn’t like loud noises.”
The manager glared at his server. “Addy. Go to the kitchen. I’ll be there in a minute.”
The server stepped over the broken dishes and slinked out of sight. Slowly, the rest of the diners returned to their seats.
The manager turned back to our table. “I apologize. Please, can I get you anything? Dessert on the house?”
Will shook his head. “I think we’ll just take the check. We need to go find our friend.”
The manager looked disappointed, but hurried off. On his way, he grabbed a busboy and pointed to the mess on the floor.
Will turned to me. “Why don’t you go find our friend? Bethany lost a bet and needs to buy me something. You know where to meet us?”
I smiled. Bethany’s bets always involved ice cream. I knew exactly what Will was trying to tell me.
I pulled some money from my wallet and placed it on the table. “For me and Pat.”
Bethany balked. “Oh. You don’t have to.”
“No. I want to. See you guys in a little while.”
I put on my coat and stepped over the busboy busily clearing the floor. Hurrying out of the restaurant, I went down the street to the board game café, accidentally walking past it. When I turned around, I thought someone might be following me.
The last thing I wanted was to lead someone to Pat, or his haven. I tried to go in the next door, but it was a bank that was closed at that hour. With a shrug, I headed back toward the bus stop in the center of town. I sat on the bench for a moment before returning to the café.
The owner eyed me cautiously as I approached his counter. I glanced all around the room, but I saw no sign of Pat. The only other people were a group of men wearing strange-looking costumes. They were crowded around the large table in the back, shouting over each other.
I turned back to the owner. I had only met him once, but hopefully he would recognize me.
“Hi, Spencer. I don’t know if you remember me. My name’s Melinda. I’m a friend of Pat Evans. Did he maybe come in here?”
Spencer shook his head. “Nope. No clue who you’re talking about. May I help you?”
Spencer was looking past me to the people who had followed me into the café. The two girls looked between me and Spencer a few times before giggling their way out of the establishment. When Spencer sighed, I returned my attention to him.
He jerked his head backwards. “The bathroom’s that way. But I think it’s occupied.”
I was about to say I didn’t need the restroom when I realized Spencer was speaking in code. I smiled. “Thanks.”
“The things we do for friends. Tell him if he doesn’t leave in two minutes, I’m charging both of you.”
I giggled as I headed around the counter toward the only restroom and knocked on the door.
“Occupado.” Despite the deep voice, I could still tell it was Pat.
I smiled to myself. Spencer wasn’t the only one who would speak in code. “It’s Daphne.”
When the door opened, I almost didn’t recognize Pat. He had his hat pulled down low and his scarf covering all but his eyes. But I knew him so well that I could still see the raised eyebrows.
“I thought you didn’t like me calling you Daphne.”
I shrugged. “I don’t. But I wasn’t sure how to get you to open the door.”
He put his arm around me and probably kissed the top of my head, although I wasn’t entirely sure with the scarf around his mouth.
I smiled at him. “Spencer said he’ll charge us if we don’t leave.”
Pat led me toward the door. “How mad are Will and Bethany?”
“We’re invited for ice cream.”
He stopped at the desk. “Thank you, Spence.”
“Anytime.”
Pat did some strange handshake with his friend before following me outside.
We found our friends waiting for us at the ice cream parlor. After paying for our sundaes, we joined Bethany and Will at a table in the back corner. Only then did Pat remove his scarf and hat.
He flashed Bethany his famous smile. “That’s what happens when the server recognizes me.”
Bethany glared at him. “Did you do that on purpose?”
Pat smirked into his ice cream. “You’ll never know, will you?”
Melinda’s Journal
Saturday, February 3
For as long as I can remember, I have always been fascinated by the magazines located near the checkout line at the grocery store. I loved reading the headlines about my favorite celebrities. When I got my own phone, I was able to spend hours trolling social media for similar stories.
Candid photos were always my favorite. They reminded me that celebrities are people, too. I loved to see the Jarrod Handy buying an ice cream cone when he thought no one was watching. Or Kara McGregor driving down the road with Patrick and Meghan in the backseat.
Now that I’ve met Pat and Meghan, though, those photos are no longer as entrancing. I look at them as an invasion of their privacy. How would I feel if someone took a picture of me as I was buying an ice cream and then posted it all over social media until it went viral?
I don’t even have to think about that. I would hate it.
Now I understand why Pat wears his stupid scarf and hat in town.
Pat’s Story
While Melinda was getting ready, I stopped by my dorm to pick up my scarf. On my way to the humanities building, I returned a quick call to my agent to tell him I had no interest in the script he had sent me. Because snow covered the ball field, I had to take the long way along the driveway to get there. I still had to wait forever for my girlfriend. We were only going to dinner. How long did it take to shower and throw on some clothes?
Finally, Melinda joined me, and we made our way to the main road, following it to the center of town. Will and Bethany were waiting for us in the pub.
Melinda smiled at them as we walked in. “I hope you weren’t waiting long. I was dancing, and I wasn’t watching the clock.”
Bethany shook her head. “Nah. We’ve only been here a few minutes. They said ten minutes.”
I nodded. “Sick.” I turned to Will. “How was hockey?”
Bethany rolled her eyes. I hated when girls did that. I never knew what they’re saying about me. Thankfully, Bethany translated for me. “Boys. They’ll talk sports all day if we let them.”
Will pretended to glare at his girlfriend. “I think saving ten goals warrants a little boasting. You’re just bitter because we won, and you lost.”
“I’m not bitter. I scored more points than I have all season.”
“Will?” The hostess was looking around the lobby. Will raised his hand and headed toward her stand. The rest of us followed.
She led us to a table in the corner. I immediately chose a seat with my back to the restaurant. It was pretty crowded and the fewer people who saw my face, the better. I took a long time shedding my coat so that the hostess would simply leave my menu on the table in front of me. Anything to avoid eye contact.
I had only eaten at this restaurant once before. I had forgotten the menu selection was so huge. Although burgers sounded great, I found a chicken sandwich that also sounded fantastic.
Then, Melinda had to start asking questions. “What do you guys recommend?”
Will showed her a description on his menu. “Well, I’m getting this bacon cheeseburger with onion rings.”
Well, that sounded pretty good. I tried to find it. “Are the onion rings on the side?”
“On the burger, dude.”
“That sounds fantastic.”
“Exactly like what your brother would order.” Melinda quickly ducked behind her menu, but not before I saw her smirk. I elbowed her lightly. She sent me a quick smile as Bethany offered her suggestion.
“Well, I’m torn between the Cajun burger with caramelized onions or the cheeseburger with a fried egg on it.”
I frowned. “That sounds good, too. I was going to get the crispy chicken sandwich with the bacon and avocado. Now I have no idea.”
Melinda giggled. “You guys are no help whatsoever.”
By the time the server arrived, I decided to go with my first choice. The chicken still sounded amazing. When I ordered, I did my best to look at my menu and just avoid eye contact with the server altogether. She wasn’t that much older than me and I was positive she would turn into a crazy fan if she recognized me.
As soon as the server left, Bethany folded her arms on the table and glared at me. “What’s up with you?”
I was half expecting her to ask to see my eyes, like she was constantly doing last month when she thought I had some sort of substance abuse problem. Unfortunately, I had no idea what she was talking about. “What do you mean?”
“When the server was here, you started acting all weird. Hiding behind your menu and talking funny.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Okay, sure, I might have been hiding behind the menu, but I had no idea what she meant by my voice.
Melinda looked at me funny. “Sure you do. You do it all the time when we’re doing DMH.”
“Do what?”
“Disguise your voice and kind of hide your face so no one recognizes you.”
I hadn’t realized it was something I did. I believed her. Now that she pointed it out, I could see myself doing that. But it was something I had done my entire life. So did my family. I just hadn’t realized it until that moment.
Bethany snorted. “That’s what that’s all about? Wow. Egocentric much?”
I narrowed my eyes at her. That was completely uncalled for. “Would you like to see what happens if I let the server recognize me? Because I can guarantee you won’t enjoy your supper.”
I had a flashback to the last time I went out to eat with my family. The mob scene was so unbearable, we had to get our food to go and eat it in a commuter lot just off the Long Island Expressway. I really didn’t want to relive that tonight. I just wanted to enjoy a meal with my friends.
Melinda’s hand was on my leg under the table. I glared at her. But she was sending me the most sympathetic look.
With a sigh, I turned back to Bethany. “Sorry. That was uncalled for. It’s a sensitive topic.”
Bethany looked apologetic. “No. I’m sorry. I forgot. I’ve gotten so used to you on campus, I’ve never considered what it would be like to be out in public with you.”
Melinda changed the subject, and we chatted about our long weekends and colleges while we waited for our food. I avoided the server when she placed my sandwich in front of me. We were silent for a few minutes as we took our first bites.
My sandwich was not bad. It was not the best chicken sandwich I had ever had, but it by far was not the worst. Melinda let me have a bite of her burger, with both caramelized and fried onions, and it was certainly better than my meal. I would have to consider that the next time I ate here.
When we finished eating, Bethany and Melinda examined the dessert menu. I wasn’t sure what I was in the mood for, but maybe Melinda and I could share something. I turned to offer my two cents and ended up smiling right at the server.
She had just picked up Melinda’s empty plate. It went crashing to the floor, although the sound was masked by her crazy screaming. I didn’t have to look around to know every eye in the restaurant was on us.
Melinda remained extremely calm. In a voice that only I could hear, she said, “Get out of here.”
I grabbed my coat and scarf. “Board games.”
I ran out of the restaurant, dodging cell phone cameras as I shrugged on my coat and wrapped my scarf around me. As I hurried down the street, I yanked my ski cap as low on my head as I could without blocking my vision. I ran along the sidewalk to Checkmate, a board game café I used to visit often as a third former.
Rushing past the desk, I hurried to the bathroom, calling to the guy behind the desk. “Spence! I gotta hide!”
I didn’t even give the owner a chance to respond as I raced past the middle-aged men playing some sort of RPG. Half of them were dressed in costumes. The sight of them was enough to have me raising my eyebrows, but not enough to slow me down. I locked myself in the bathroom, removed my scarf, and called my agent.
He answered on the first ring. “Hey, Patrick. What’s—Are you calling me from a toilet?”
“Yeah. I’m in Connecticut. I went out to dinner with some friends and a server recognized me and things got a little crazy.”
He nodded knowingly. “And you want me to watch social media for the frenzy. On it.”
“Dave, you are the best.”
“How should I spin it?”
“No idea.”
Dave smirked. “I’ll talk to your mom.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. I’m going to hang up now, though, because it’s a little weird talking to someone in a bathroom.”
Laughing, I ended the call and stowed my phone. As I paced the small room, I wondered whether Melinda would know where to find me. I was about to text her when there was a knock on the door.
Although I wasn’t the family voice actor, I tried to respond in a deep voice. And with a slight Spanish accent. “Occupado.”
“It’s Daphne.”
That threw me. When Melinda and I first got together, it was my pet name for her. After we broke up, she decided she didn’t like me using it anymore.
Just in case it wasn’t her, I quickly wrapped my scarf around me and pulled on my hat before opening the door. “I thought you didn’t like me calling you Daphne.”
Melinda shrugged. “I don’t. But I wasn’t sure how to get you to open the door.”
I pulled her close and kissed the top of her head the best I could.
She smiled up at me. “Spencer said he’ll charge us if we don’t leave.”
I shook my head and started toward the door. “How mad are Will and Bethany?”
“We’re invited for ice cream.”
I stopped by the front desk. “Thank you, Spence.”
“Anytime.”
Spence and I performed our secret handshake, and I joined Melinda outside. We headed back toward campus, stopping at the ice cream parlor. I didn’t remove my hat and scarf until we had joined our friends at a table in the back corner.
As I dug into my sundae, I smiled at Bethany. “That’s what happens when the server recognizes me.”
Bethany glared at me. “Did you do that on purpose?”
I couldn’t help teasing her. “You’ll never know, will you?”
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 