Pat’s Story

I had just finished a grueling physics final when my phone began to play the theme song to Flower Children, a horrible movie that was made before I was born. I smiled at the incoming video chat request.

“Hey, Dave.”

“Who is the best agent in the world?”

I pretended to be stumped for a moment. “Um . . .”

“Fine. I won’t tell you my news. Where are you, anyway?”

“Heading to the dining hall.”

“Why is everything so gray?”

I shrugged. “It’s winter in Connecticut. What do you expect?”

“Sunshine. It’s why I’m in LA.”

“Dave, did you say you had news for me?”

“I found a movie for you. You ever hear about Patrick Barrett?”

“Nope. Would I like him?”

“When he was your age, he could run ten K in under twenty-eight minutes.”

I swore. “I can run about half that in that time. Yeah, I probably wouldn’t like him. What’s he have to do with the movie?”

“It’s a docudrama about his life. Everyone expected him to win the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics.”

“What happened?”

“Hit and run the night before the opening ceremony, a week before qualifiers. Died three days later without regaining consciousness. He was eighteen.”

“Depressing. Who would I be?”

“Patrick Barrett. I think you’d be perfect for this.”

“Details. When and where are they filming? When and where would I audition?”

“Filming starts around Memorial Day. I know you’re still in school, but I’m confident we could figure something out. As for auditions, I might be able to set up a video call. Where? Still figuring that out. I know they’re looking east coast. I think New York, Pennsylvania area. Maybe New England.”

“Dave, this sounds too good to be true.”

“So, you’re interested?”

“Enough to read the script.”

“Fantastic. I’m sending it to you right now.”

Dave didn’t even say goodbye. He simply ended the call. That was pretty usual for him. A moment later, my phone signaled an incoming email.

As much as I wanted to read the script, I had to study for my last final. And before that, I needed to say goodbye to my girlfriend.

The dining hall wasn’t open yet, so I checked the lounge. Couches were arranged around a cold fireplace. My brother, Walter, was sitting on one. On the other couch was his best friend, Melinda. My girlfriend.

I sat beside her, placing my arm on the back of the couch behind her. She immediately stopped talking to my brother and turned to me.

“Hey. How’d you do?”

I shrugged. “It’s not that physics is hard. It’s just, Peters likes to use old AP questions and they’re an agglomeration of different—What?” Melinda had frowned.

“They’re a what?”

My brother laughed. “Agglomeration. Collection.”

“Oh. Okay. I’m following you now.”

I shook my head. “When are you leaving?”

“My mom thinks she can get here at, like, three. I wish you could drive me home.”

I played with her hair. “Me too. Next time.”

I leaned in to kiss her, but my brother shouted from the other couch. “Dining hall’s open.”

I glared at him as I sat back. “You could have just gone without us.”

He shrugged. “Could have. Didn’t want to. Come on. You guys can make out after you eat.”

Melinda giggled as she stood. I followed them reluctantly.

It was the last meal before spring break. It was not very good. I couldn’t wait to go home, where our housekeeper Fiona would probably cook Walter and me whatever we wanted. The thought almost made my chicken patty sandwich palatable. Almost.

After a quick meal, Melinda walked me to the athletic center, where our exams were being held. As we had done last term, we sat on the suspended track to say our goodbyes. Melinda insisted on reviewing my biology flashcards one last time. When I answered every definition correctly, she rewarded me with a kiss.

We wouldn’t see each other for two weeks. She kissed me with such an intensity, I felt like we were about to be separated for two years. I pulled her close, but she pushed against me until we were both lying on the floor. Her hands tangled in my hair and mine were itching to explore under her shirt.

But we had set boundaries on our relationship. I gently pulled away, playing with her hair as I drew her close to my chest. I wondered if she could hear my heart trying to explode out of it. We lay like that until we could hear people entering the building. I gave her one more kiss before we went downstairs.

---

Melinda was long gone by the time I finished my final. Since I had parked my car next to the athletic center, I drove it back to my dorm and started packing for home. I had been procrastinating all week. I was spending a few days in Connecticut, where it was still winter, then I was flying to LA, where it was nearly summer. I had clothes in both houses. I had no idea what to pack. As I was shoving random things into a suitcase, my phone sang the opening bars to “She Bugs Me.”

My mother was from the stone age. She refused to learn how to video chat or text. She insisted on actually calling on the phone. It was one of the many reasons her ringtone was “She Bugs Me.” I put it on speaker while I tried to find my last pair of clean jeans.

“Hi Mom. What’s up?”

“Why do you sound so far away?”

“I’m under my bed.” No jeans, but I did find some socks that had missed the hamper.

“Why? Melinda’s not in there with you, is she?”

I sighed as I stood, putting the phone to my ear. “Do you really think I would answer the phone if she were here?”

“She’s not allowed in your room.”

“She’s not even on campus!”

“Now you made me forget why I called.”

“Okay. Bye.”

“Don’t get that attitude with me, young man. It’s not too late for me to cancel your flight exam. And that’s why I’m calling.”

“You’re not really canceling my exam?”

“No. Can you fly your uncle’s plane?”

“I thought Dad said I could use his.”

“Fiona’s father passed away. He was Pop-Pop’s brother. Fiona’s going to take Granny and Pop-Pop with her to the funeral, so I suggested they take your father’s plane. It’s more comfortable than a commercial flight. Vinny said you can borrow his for your test. He’ll park it in our space at the hangar.”

“So, does that mean Walter and I will be home alone?”

“No. You and your brother would probably kill each other. Or burn down the house. I spoke to Christina—”

“Who?” Mom had too many relatives for me to keep track, but I was pretty sure none of them were named Christina.

“Melinda’s mother. You and your brother are going there for the weekend. And I told Christina you would drive Melinda home, too.”

Mentally, I was jumping for joy. I was spending the weekend with my girlfriend. I tried not to let it show.

“That’s—”

“Oh, Munchkin. I’m being called back to the set. Drive carefully and behave yourselves. Make sure you use your manners. I’ll call you later tonight when I’m done for the day. Bye Munchkin.”

I hung up the phone and finished packing in a hurry. My girlfriend was still on campus and I wanted to go find her.

---

The drive to Melinda’s house was long. Walter spent most of it in the back seat reading his scripts for next week. I was a little jealous. I was still dying to read the script my agent had sent me earlier. Instead, Melinda and I spent most of the drive trying to guess the names of the songs on the satellite radio. She even covered the digital display with an adhesive bandage she found in the first aid kit.

When we got to her house, Walter and I brought our bags up to the guest room. I had forgotten how much smaller her house was compared to ours. Walter and I would not only be sharing a room, but we would also share the inflatable bed. We also didn’t even have our own bathroom. There was a guest bathroom downstairs we could use, or we could use the one in Melinda’s brother’s room on the other side of the house. We weren’t allowed in the one in Melinda’s room.

After we settled in, Walter went off to play video games with Melinda’s brother. Although Joey was three years younger, the two of them had the same taste in games. I much preferred spending the time snuggled on the living room couch with my girlfriend. While she read some book she had downloaded onto her phone, I scrolled through the emails on my tablet. I found the script my agent had sent me and began to read.

I started making movies before I could read. Some actors auditioned for everything they came across, just to earn a living. I had been blessed with the fame that allowed me to be selective about my projects. Since I was balancing school—and now a girlfriend—with work, I only picked projects I firmly believed in.

Tomodachi had been one of those films. I fell in love with the script when I stumbled across it last Thanksgiving. I begged Mom to let me do it, even though it was an independent film. I thought for sure Mom would nix the idea when I told her about the intensive immersion ASL course I wanted to take to help me land the role. But Mom loved the script almost as much as I did and she let me audition.

In the Running piqued my interest on page one. Within ten pages, I was hooked. By page twenty, I was in love. I knew I wanted to do this movie.

Melinda’s Story

I stared at my closet, trying to figure out what I should bring home for Spring Break. Two weeks was a long time. Before I could come to any decisions, there was a knock on my door. Since my closet was behind the open door, I peered around to see who was looking for me.

My best friend smiled back at me. “I’m bored. Can I hang out here until you leave?”

I shrugged. “Yeah, sure. But you have to go get co-ed. My parents are going to be here soon, and I’m still packing.”

Walter nodded and headed down the hallway. While he was gone, my mother called.

“Hi, Melinda. How was your final?”

“It was fine. I think I did well. You’re not here yet, are you? Because I’m nowhere near ready.”

“Well, that’s why I’m calling. Your father is running late again. But Kara called me a little while ago and asked if the boys could stay with us.”

Even though my mother couldn’t see me, I folded my hands as if in prayer. “Please tell me you said yes?”

“I did.”

While I didn’t shout for joy, I did perform a small celebratory dance. Walter walked in during the middle of it. When he smirked, I put a finger to my lips and mouthed later. My mother talked for a long time before I could finally end the call. By that time, Walter had settled himself in my desk chair.

“Want to explain that little dance?”

I bit my lip, trying to contain my excitement. “When’s the last time you talked to your mother?”

“Last night. Why?”

“You’re coming to my house!”

Walter’s eyes grew wide. “What?”

I nodded. “So, apparently there was some sort of family emergency, and your housekeeper has to go back to Ireland, so my mom said you and Pat can stay with us.”

Walter grinned. “I call dibs on the guest room. Wait. Where’s my brother sleeping?”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re sharing the guest room, silly.”

Walter didn’t hide his whine. “You mean I have to share that airbed with him? For how long?”

“The weekend. Until you guys go to LA.”

Walter sighed. “So, when’s your mom picking us up?”

“Never. Pat gets to drive us home.”

“Sweet. I call shotgun.”

I just shook my head as I went back to staring at my wardrobe. Pat was my boyfriend. I always rode shotgun.

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.