Melinda’s Story

Pat and I were still standing by the pool when a girl sauntered over with a smile. “Patrick! So good to see you!”

Pat hugged her, kissing her cheek before putting an arm around me. “Kayla, this is Mae. Mae, this is Kayla.”

I gave a small wave. “Nice to meet you.”

She smiled. “You’re the girl with purple hair! I saw you talking to Jarrod a few minutes ago. On behalf of every girl here, I’d like to thank you for pushing that sleazeball into the pool.”

I quickly put up my hands in the defense. “I didn’t touch him. He did it all by himself.”

“Even better. So, singer, actor, or dancer? What brings you to LA?”

I laughed. “Well, I’m just visiting the McGregors for the week. But I am a dancer.”

“Nice. Have I seen any of your music videos?”

I frowned. “I haven’t been in any.”

Kayla sent me a sympathetic look. “Oh. Just getting started? That’s fantastic. Well, if you know the McGregors, you’ll probably be able to do a CAVEmen video when you’re ready.”

Pat smirked. “You know, that’s not a bad idea.”

Kayla turned back to him. “I better go. My boyfriend probably thinks I ditched him. My brother’s been looking for you. I think he’s inside at the moment, but if I see him, I’ll let him know you’re out here. It was good to see you.” She turned to me. “Nice meeting you.”

As she walked away, I gestured to the house. “You want to go inside to look for your friend?”

Pat shook his head. “No. We, uh, should stay out here.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Why?”

Pat sighed. “Out here is the clean party. People just hanging out, dancing. Having fun. The only people inside are either getting high or sleeping around. Trust me. You don’t want to be in there.”

I glanced through the glass wall. Walter was still inside talking to a couple of guys. When I spoke, I could hear the injury in my own voice. “Really? That’s what everyone inside is doing?”

Pat shrugged. “Yeah. Pretty much. Come on. I’ll introduce you to the cool kids.”

Taking my hand, he led me around the pool to the cluster of people I had waved at earlier. When we reached them, they turned, greeting Pat with hugs and weird handshakes.

Among the group was the actress Penelope Tracy. After kissing Pat’s cheek, she looked me up and down. “Well, well. I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. Actor or heiress?”

I smiled. “Actually, dancer.”

“Oh! Have I seen you in anything?”

“I was in The Nutcracker a few months ago.”

Penelope looked confused. “I don’t think I’ve seen that video. Is that a Lil L song?”

Pat looked like he was ready to burst from holding in his laughter, but I just smiled. “No. It’s Tchaikovsky.”

“Hmm. I haven’t heard of him.”

“Oh, well, he’s one of my favorite artists. You should totally check him out.” I turned to Pat. “Oh, hey. Is that Tony?” I pointed to the other side of the pool.

Pat put an arm around me with a smile. “Yeah. I think so. Later, Penelope.”

Pat led me to a corner of the pool deck where snacks were sitting on a table. “Want some water?”

“Sure.” I gestured over my shoulder as he reached into a cooler on the floor. “You could have stayed over there.”

He passed me a bottle of water with a shrug. “Nah. It’s fine. You handled that really well, though. I was about to pull out my phone and play your ringtone for her.”

“Could you imagine Lil L doing a Tchaikovsky cover?”

I laughed at my own joke, but Pat looked like he was deep in thought. Frowning, he grabbed my hand and pulled me to a couple standing near some deck chairs close by. He kissed the girl on the cheek and gave the guy a weird handshake before smiling at him.

“Diego, I just figured out your next album.”

The guy raised his eyebrows. “You a musician now, man?”

Pat smirked. “Actually, I have written a few songs. Never to be performed. But I was wondering if you could sing this.”

Pat held his phone between them. A moment later, I heard my ringtone. The girl wrinkled her nose.

“Isn’t that like ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies’ or something?”

I was surprised she recognized the composer, even if she got the wrong song. I smiled. “Sleeping Beauty. The Waltz.”

Diego shook his head. “Dude. There’re no lyrics. What exactly is it you want me to sing?”

Pat smiled. “The music.”

I rolled my eyes, and the girl nodded in agreement. But the guy seemed intrigued. “Dude, play that again.”

While the music played, Diego nodded his head to the beat. After listening to it a third time, he started beatboxing a near-perfect imitation of the song.

I couldn’t help dancing along. The girl looked at me like I was crazy, but it was kind of fun.

Pat’s ringtone was only a short segment of the waltz. When it ended, Diego smiled at him.

“Yo. I think you might have something here, dude. What other songs can I do?”

Pat glanced at me. I shrugged. “Well, I like ‘Polichinelles’ from The Nutcracker Suite, but if you could pull it off, 1812 Overture would be pretty cool.”

The guy looked at me like I had two heads. “What and what?”

I laughed. “Of course, you don’t have to stick to Tchaikovsky. Those are just the only ones I know.”

Diego narrowed his eyes at me. “Who exactly are you?”

Pat put his arm around me. “Sorry. I forgot to introduce you to my girlfriend. This is Mae. She’s a dancer.”

The girl looked between me and Pat for a minute. “Really? Have I seen you in anything?”

Rolling my eyes, I turned to Pat. “Why does everyone hear dancer and assume music videos?”

Pat smirked. “Because my friends aren’t cool enough to know any ballerinas.”

Shaking my head, I turned back to the girl. “I’m not a ballerina. I’m a hoofer.”

She shrank back, looking disgusted. “A what?”

I giggled. “A hoofer. A tap dancer.”

Diego sent me a sly smile. “Well, Miss Hoofer, let’s say I wanted to do an album with these songs. What would you suggest?”

I spent almost an hour suggesting some of my favorite classical music, dancing as Diego recreated the music with his mouth. I couldn’t believe how much fun I was having. It was far better than any MAC dance.

Pat’s Story

As I watched Jarrod walk away, I tried to use my body to shield Melinda from his view. I wasn’t sure what he might do.

But he seemed to be more embarrassed than vengeful. He scampered into the house. Hopefully, that would be the last I saw of him tonight.

“Patrick! So good to see you!”

I turned to see Kayla Morgan smiling at me. I gave her a quick hug, kissing her cheek before throwing my arm around Melinda.

“Kayla, this is Mae. Mae, this is Kayla.”

They exchanged pleasantries, and Kayla praised Melinda for pushing Jarrod into the pool before making small talk. Eventually, Kayla turned to me.

“I better go. My boyfriend probably thinks I ditched him. My brother’s been looking for you. I think he’s inside at the moment, but if I see him, I’ll let him know you’re out here. It was good to see you.” She waved to Melinda. “Nice meeting you.”

Melinda turned to me. “You want to go inside to look for your friend?”

Definitely not. “No. We, uh, should stay out here.”

She furrowed her brow. “Why?”

I sighed. “Out here is the clean party. People just hanging out, dancing. Having fun. The only people inside are getting high or sleeping around. Trust me. You don’t want to be in there.”

“Really? That’s what everyone inside is doing?”

I shrugged. “Yeah. Pretty much. Come on. I’ll introduce you to the cool kids.”

Grabbing her hand, I dragged her to a group of people I recognized. As was custom, I exchanged daps with the guys and air kisses with the girls.

Melinda tried to have a conversation with Penelope Tracy, but that girl was such an airhead, she thought The Nutcracker was a Lil L song. Part of me wished Lionel was here just so I could tell him.

Melinda put a hand on my arm, pointing across the pool. “Oh, hey. Is that Tony?”

I smiled, wrapping my arm around her waist. “Yeah. I think so. Later, Penelope.” I brought her to the snack table, grabbing some waters from the cooler beneath it.

Melinda pointed to where we had just been. “You could have stayed over there.”

I gave her one of the bottles in my hand. “Nah. It’s fine. You handled that really well, though. I was about to pull out my phone and play your ringtone for her.”

“Could you imagine Lil L doing a Tchaikovsky cover?”

Melinda laughed, but she was on to something. Lionel couldn’t do it, but I had an idea of who could. And he was probably here. I scanned the pool deck, finding Diego not far away. Taking Melinda’s hand, I dragged her to meet my friend. After greeting them both, I turned to the musician.

“Diego, I just figured out your next album.”

He raised his eyebrows. “You a musician now, man?”

I shrugged. “Actually, I have written a few songs. Never to be performed. But I was wondering if you could sing this.”

I held out my phone, playing Melinda’s ringtone. Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty sang out.

Zelda made a face of disgust. “Isn’t that like ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies’ or something?”

As Melinda corrected her, Diego shook his head. “Dude. There’re no lyrics. What exactly is it you want me to sing?”

I raised the phone slightly. “The music.”

Melinda rolled her eyes. I had no idea what she said about me, but Zelda seemed to agree with her. But I was more interested in Diego’s reaction. And he definitely looked intrigued.

“Dude. Play that again.”

While the music played, Diego nodded his head to the beat. After listening to it a third time, he started beat-boxing a near-prefect imitation of the song. Naturally, Melinda danced along. Zelda looked annoyed, but it didn’t matter. The rest of us were having fun.

Diego nodded as the ringtone ended. “Yo. I think you might have something here, dude. What other songs can I do?”

No idea. I looked at my girlfriend, who rattled off some songs I didn’t recognize.

Diego frowned at her. “Who exactly are you?”

I pulled Melinda close. “Sorry. I forgot to introduce you to my girlfriend. This is Mae. She’s a dancer.”

Well, that got Zelda interested in the conversation again. “Really? Have I seen you in anything?”

Instead of answering, Melinda turned to me. “Why does everyone hear dancer and assume music videos?”

I smirked. “Because my friends aren’t cool enough to know any ballerinas.”

She shook her head. “I’m not a ballerina. I’m a hoofer.”

The horrified look on Zelda’s face told me she had clearly misheard. “A what?”

Melinda giggled. “A hoofer. A tap dancer.”

Diego smiled at her. “Well, Miss Hoofer, let’s say I wanted to do an album with these songs? What would you suggest?”

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.