Pat’s Story
During breakfast, Walter, Melinda, and I tried to think of something we could do that day. The best we could come up with was my family’s favorite board game. As Walter went to see if he had packed it, my phone started singing She Bugs Me.
I showed Melinda the display before taking the phone to the living room, closing the door behind me for some privacy.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Hey, Munchkin. You behaving yourself?”
I gave an exasperated sigh. “Yes.”
“Christina said you and Melinda were out babysitting all night.”
“It wasn’t supposed to be. The parents just never came home.”
“I know. She told me. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about the Tomodachi premiere.”
It sounded like this conversation was going to take a while. I made myself comfortable on the couch. “What about it?”
“Would you like to bring Melinda?”
“Where?”
“To the premiere.”
I frowned. “That’s not funny.”
“I’m serious. That’s why Christina called me this morning. It took a lot of convincing, but she agreed Melinda could come.”
“To LA?” I was in shock.
“Yes. For the rest of break.”
As amazing as that sounded, I was hesitant. “I don’t think I want her with me on the carpet.”
“She doesn’t have to come. I just thought you might like her to.” My mother sounded almost disappointed.
I tried to explain. “No. I mean, I want her there. It’s just, if she comes with me on the carpet, then the paparazzi will be all over her.”
“Your father and I will be there. And Walter. She can stay with him.”
“And you’re sure her mother said yes?”
“Yes. She’s talking to her about it right now. I just wanted to make sure you wanted to invite her.”
“I do.” Suddenly, I was in love with the idea.
“Fantastic. I will tell Dave—”
“Oh. That reminds me. Dave sent me a script.”
“He mentioned it. Something about a runner?”
“Mom? I’m in love with this movie. I really want to do it.”
“Okay. I’ll tell Dave to set up an audition.”
I was a little surprised it was so easy. “Just like that? Did you read it?”
“No, but I’m assuming you did if you’re in love with it.”
“There’re two problems with it, though. There’s this one scene. Well, two really. See, I would kiss a girl in the first scene and then there’s a fade out and then in the next scene, we’re, like, in bed together.”
Suddenly, I was very glad my mother and I were not video chatting. I had a feeling my face was bright red.
“I see,” my mother said slowly. “Is there only the one time?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, you would probably need to film that scene wearing just shorts. Are you comfortable with that?”
I shrugged. “Well, that was the other problem with this movie. Almost all the running scenes are without a shirt. Apparently, that’s how this guy liked to run. I don’t really have a problem with it, but is it okay with you?”
“Munchkin, you’re almost an adult. If you think this movie is a good fit for you, I’ll trust your judgment.”
“Really?”
“Don’t sound so surprised. You picked out Tomodachi. I would have probably said no to it, but you were right. It was a perfect movie for you. If you feel the same about this one with the runner, I’ll trust you.”
I smirked. “You’re still going to read it before I audition, aren’t you?”
“Of course I am. But even if I don’t think it’s right for you, I’m going to let you make that decision. Unless I feel there’s something morally wrong with the movie, of course.”
“You mean like the part where there’s a human sacrifice?”
She laughed. “Exactly. Oh, I better get going. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
“Okay, Mom. Thanks.”
Somewhere during my conversation, Melinda had joined me on the couch. When I finally got my mother off the phone, I moved closer to her.
“That was Mom. She said your mom is letting you come to my premiere.”
She pouted. “You don’t sound that excited.”
“Do you want to come to LA?”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “Why did my mom tell me? Why didn’t you ask me yourself?”
“It never occurred to me to ask you.” I shrugged and pulled her closer. “I’ve always gone to premieres with my family. Mom said she’s been talking to your mom about it all week. I swear, I had no idea. And when she asked me if I wanted you to come, my first thought was no.”
I knew that had come out wrong even before Melinda muttered, “Oh.” She tried to get up, but I held her tight and tried to explain.
“I’m not finished. I don’t want to walk down the red carpet with you. Because I don’t want you to be swallowed by the paparazzi as Patrick McGregor’s girlfriend. I didn’t think you’d like that, either.”
“No,” Melinda said dejectedly. “You’re right.”
“Then Mom suggested I stay with her and Dad and you hang back with Walter.”
“If you don’t want me there, I don’t have to come.” Melinda wriggled free, heading to the door.
I tried to follow her. “Sweetheart, I want you there. I want you with me the first time I watch this movie. Who am I kidding? It’ll probably be the only time I watch this movie. And I want you by my side.”
“You just don’t want to be seen with me?” Tears welled in her eyes, but I had no idea how to explain what I meant without getting her more upset.
“That’s not what I said!” I could feel my temper rising. She could be so frustrating sometimes.
“Well, it’s certainly what it sounds like!” Melinda stormed out of the room.
I wanted to chase her. I wanted to explain. But I had no idea what else I could say. I went upstairs to see if my brother could talk some sense into her.
“She’s coming to LA,” Walter announced as he returned to our room.
“What’d you say to her?”
“Doesn’t matter. She’s coming to LA.” He tossed my tablet to me. “That’s a terrific script. Perfect for you.”
“If I got the part, what would you think about doing a cameo?”
“That you’ve been spending too much time with your girlfriend.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Huh?”
Walter laughed. “I’m not recognizable enough to have a cameo.”
“Your filmography’s longer than the rest of us combined.”
Walter shrugged. “Why would you even ask? I don’t do the camera.”
“The beginning and end of the movie have this guy standing at a podium. Junior.”
“So?”
“There’s a note in the character descriptions. They want to have the person playing Patrick Barrett play his own son, but with enough makeup so they look alike without actually looking alike.”
“Still not seeing your point.”
“According to other people, you look like me.” I shrugged. “Think about it.”
“I don’t do the camera.”
I didn’t argue the point.
While I believed my brother, I wanted Melinda to confirm that she was coming to LA. And to make sure she wasn’t mad at me.
Assuming she was in her room, I went to check on her. She was there, tossing clothes on her bed. I was about to knock when I realized she was talking to someone.
With a sigh, I went back to my room. When I tried again ten minutes later, she was no longer on the phone.
Although I assumed there was some method to the mess on her bed, to me, it looked like a tornado had blown through. On top of the assorted outfits were Melinda’s underthings.
I couldn’t help it. My mind wanted to picture her wearing them. I liked what I was imagining.
Shaking my head, I knocked on her door. I wasn’t supposed to be thinking of her like that. She wasn’t an object for me to ogle. She deserved to be treated with respect.
Melinda turned to me, sending me an expectant look. I tried to remember why I was there.
“Uh, can we talk?”
She shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.”
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop looking at her bed. I could feel my face growing warm. “Uh, can we go to my room?”
She rolled her eyes, but I had no idea what she was saying about me. “My mom went to work, Pat. You can come in.”
“I’d rather not. Not with—” I gestured to the bed. She could figure it out, right?
Yes, although she didn’t quite hide her smirk as she followed me back to my room. Since my brother was on the bed, I settled on the floor against a wall. Melinda sat beside me.
Playing with her hair calmed me and reminded me why I had been looking for her.
“Walter said he convinced you to come to LA.”
She nodded. “When you said, well, I misunderstood what you were trying to say. I’m sorry for getting mad at you.”
I closed the space between us. “And I’m sorry I made you feel like I didn’t want you to come. We okay?”
Her response was a kiss that made my heart race. I wanted to stay like this forever.
Unfortunately, we were not alone. Walter cleared his throat, speaking loudly. “Oh. Hey. You two are here. Who’s up for a game of Weddas?”
Melinda’s Story
I found Pat sitting in the living room, still talking to his mother. He looked uncomfortable. I sat near him, playing on my phone while trying not to eavesdrop.
A few minutes later, Pat ended his call and moved closer to me. “That was Mom. She said your mom is letting you come to my premiere.”
I frowned. “You don’t sound that excited.”
He shrugged. “Do you want to come to LA?”
There was something about his tone. I frowned. “Why did my mom tell me? Why didn’t you ask me yourself?”
“It never occurred to me to invite you.”
So, he didn’t want me there? I tried to move away, but Pat pulled me close. “I’ve always gone to premieres with my family. Mom said she’s been talking to your mom about it all week. I swear, I had no idea. And when she asked me if I wanted you to come, my first thought was no.”
“Oh.” I tried to get out of Pat’s embrace, but he held me closer.
“I’m not finished. I don’t want to walk down the red carpet with you. Because I don’t want you to be swallowed by the paparazzi as Patrick McGregor’s girlfriend. I didn’t think you’d want that, either.”
I was heartbroken. But he made a valid point. I could hear the dejection in response. “No. You’re right.”
“Then Mom suggested I stay with her and Dad while you hang back with Walter.”
“If you don’t want me there, I don’t have to come.” I wasn’t going to fly three thousand miles from home if I wasn’t going to be wanted. With a little struggling, I freed myself from Pat.
He got to his feet as I stormed to the door. “Sweetheart, I want you there. I want you with me the first time I watch this movie. Who am I kidding? It’ll probably be the only time I watch this movie. And I want you by my side.”
“You just don’t want to be seen with me?” I could barely see him through the tears stinging my eyes.
“That’s not what I said!” The anger and frustration in Pat’s tone just made me even more upset.
“Well, it’s certainly what it sounds like!” I stormed up the stairs to my room.
I was sorting through the clothes in my closet when I heard a knock on the door. I half expected to see Pat standing there. Instead, Walter came to sit on my bed.
“Pat said you were upset, and I should come talk to you.”
“Did he tell you why?”
“Nope. That’s your job. Then I’ll go beat him up for you.”
Sighing, I settled beside Walter against my headboard. “He’s embarrassed to be seen with me.”
Walter screwed up his face for a moment. “Yeah. I’m not seeing it. Need more info.”
“Your mom invited me to the Tomodachi premiere.”
Walter’s face lit up. “Really? You’re coming to LA? That is so awesome. You can keep me company. I get so bored at these things.”
I shrugged. “My mom said I could. But when I went to talk to Pat about it, he said he didn’t want me to go.”
“Really? That doesn’t sound like Pat.”
“Well, he said he wanted me beside him to watch the movie, but not on the carpet. That I should stand with you. Out of the spotlight.”
Walter gave a knowing nodded. “Got it. Hang on. I think Justin went through that last year.” Walter took out his phone. I watched over his shoulder as he searched the internet, then he angled the phone so I could see better. “Yup. Here we go.”
I watched as an effervescent host interviewed Justin Morgan and the girl standing beside him. I recognized the posters in the background from the premiere of Kiss Me Already last year.
The girl couldn’t stop giggling as the host asked her how she felt about being Justin Morgan’s girlfriend and dating someone so famous. The two were so superficial, I was nauseous.
I frowned as Walter put down the phone. “I don’t get it. You think I’m going to turn into that giggly thing? You think Pat thinks that?”
Walter laughed. “No. We both know you better than that. You’re not nearly that vapid. But—”
I held up a hand to interrupt Walter. “I’m not what?”
Walter smirked. “Vapid. Uh, Shallow. Basically, an airhead. See, Pat and I? We know you’re not like that. But the people doing the interviews? They don’t know that about you. They’re supposed to be asking about the movie. Pat’s worried that if you show up on his arm, they’ll focus on you instead.”
I tried to imagine standing beside Pat with a microphone shoved in my face like that giggly girl. I made a face. “I don’t think I’d like that.”
Walter put an arm around me. “And Pat doesn’t want that for you. What are you always telling everyone? Patrick McGregor isn’t your boyfriend. Pat Evans is. If you walk the red carpet with him, you’d be walking with Patrick McGregor.”
I sighed. “So, I shouldn’t go?”
“You should totally go. You can keep me company while Pat is doing all the interviews.”
“You’re not worried people will think I’m your girlfriend?”
Walter smiled. “The people with the cameras? They don’t look twice at me.”
“So, what do I wear?”
Walter shrugged. “Meghan has a closet full of clothes in LA you could probably borrow.”
When Walter left, I texted his sister to call me when she was free. I was a little surprised when my phone rang less than five minutes later.
“What did my brother do?” Meghan asked in way of greeting as her face filled the screen.
“Nothing. Your mom invited me to Pat’s premiere.”
“Oh! Now I really wish I were going!”
I frowned. “You’re not?”
“Granny went to Ireland for a funeral, so I’m helping her assistants at the theater. Plus, I’ve got Chloe as a houseguest.”
“I’m really nervous about going. I have no idea what I’m supposed to wear. And how should I act? And Pat doesn’t want me there as his girlfriend, so I’m kind of just going as Walter’s friend. And should I even talk to Pat or just completely ignore him? I’m so confused!”
Meghan flashed a reassuring smile. “You’re going to be fine. Walter is a pro at these things. Let’s start with what to wear.”
“Your pro suggested I borrow something from your LA closet.”
“Okay, so my brother has no fashion sense. No offense, but you’re not my size. I doubt my clothes would be very flattering on you. Do you have anything in your closet?”
“Only this.” I propped up my phone, then stepped back and held up the dress I had bought for last month’s Sweetheart Dance. I placed it in front of me so Meghan could get an idea of what it might look like if I were wearing it.
Meghan cooed. “Oh, that is gorgeous! Wear that. Definitely.”
I smiled. “So, I have my premiere dress. What else should I pack?”
As Meghan helped me review the contents of my closet, I was glad my mother had made me go dress shopping yesterday. My new sundresses were going to get a lot of use in LA.
By the time I hung up with Meghan, my bed was full of clothes. I had a pile of clothes that were too small and ready for the donation bin. I had a pile of clothes I wanted to bring to school. But most importantly, I had a pile of clothes to bring to LA.
When I heard a knock on my door, I glanced up. Pat looked embarrassed. Was it because he thought I was still mad at him? Or was it because he wasn’t supposed to be in my room?
“Uh, can we talk?”
I shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.”
He looked around. “Uh, can we go to my room?”
I rolled my eyes. “My mom went to work, Pat. You can come in.”
He shook his head, which was turning the color of a tomato. “I’d rather not. Not with . . .” He gestured to the bed. Strewn across the LA pile were all my new under garments.
Biting back a smirk, I followed Pat to the guest room. Walter was lying on the airbed, reading with headphones on. Ignoring him, Pat and I sat on the floor.
Pat ran his hand through my hair. “Walter said he convinced you to come to LA.”
I nodded. “When you said, well, I misunderstood what you were trying to say. I’m sorry for getting mad at you.”
Pat leaned closer. “And I’m sorry I made you feel like I didn’t want you to come. We okay?”
I didn’t answer. Instead, I brought my lips to his. The warmth that filled me reassured both of us we were fine.
Walter cleared his throat, speaking much louder than necessary. “Oh. Hey. You two are here. Who’s up for a game of Weddas?”
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 