Melinda’s Story

After such a late night, I expected everyone to sleep in on Saturday morning. So I was more than a little surprised to find Pat sitting by the pool when I went down for breakfast. I grabbed a protein bar from the pantry and went to join him.

Giving him a quick kiss, I sat beside him on the deck chair. “Hey. Didn’t think anyone would be up yet.”

Pat shrugged. “Walter and I went running before he left.”

I frowned. “He’s not here? I thought we were going hiking today.”

Pat shook his head. “Tomorrow. He’s working today. Mom, too.”

“Oh. So, what are we doing? Sitting by the pool?”

“Actually, some friends invited us to hang out at the beach. Basically a triple date. But only if you want.”

I bit my lip. Pat must have seen my hesitation. He ran his hand along my spine. “It’s okay if you don’t. We can do something else.”

I shook my head. “Okay. This is going to sound stupid and shallow, but I’m just worried that if we go to the beach, my hair color will wash out.”

Pat booped my nose. “Then don’t go in the water.”

“Will everyone make fun of me?”

Pat laughed. “Trust me, you’ll fit right in. These girls never go in the water.”

Smiling, I got to my feet, grabbing Pat’s hand and pulling him off the chair. “If we’re going to the beach, you have to help me decide what to wear.”

He groaned. “I am so not the person for this job. Let me get Shelia. She’s a girl. She can help.”

Giggling, I dragged Pat up the stairs to my room, planting him in the doorway. “Stand here.”

Pat smirked. “Are you going to do a fashion show?”

I rolled my eyes. “No. I just need you to tell me which bathing suit I should wear. I don’t want to embarrass you. Or look five.”

I had packed three suits and, thanks to Shelia, they were all clean. One looked like my dance leotard with a flirty skirt. One had practically no back. The third was a two-piece I had bought at the mall last week. It had a ruffled tankini top with string ties at the shoulders and bikini bottoms with string ties on the side.

I laid the three suits on the floor so Pat could see. He raised his eyebrows at the two-piece. “I don’t think I’ve seen you in that one.”

I shook my head. “Nope. Just bought it last week.”

“When you went shopping with my brother? He let you buy that?”

I bit back a smile. “I may have bought it while he wasn’t watching.”

“Well, honestly, I think you would look fantastic no matter what you wear. But I’ve seen you in the other two suits.” Pat smirked. “Might be nice to see that new one on you. Just saying.”

I was torn between hitting Pat and kissing him. Before I could do either, a voice boomed down the hall.

“What are you doing?”

Pat took a step away from the door, holding up his hands as he turned to his father. “I wasn’t in her room. I swear. She asked for help picking out a bathing suit for the beach.”

Nodding, I gestured to the display on the floor. “I want to fit in with Pat’s friends.”

Mr. Adam frowned. “None of those. You should wear jeans. And long sleeves. You won’t have to worry about sunburn.”

Since I had a feeling he was serious, I did my best not to laugh. “I’ll think about it. Thanks.”

Mr. Adam turned to his son. “Not one toe over that threshold, young man, or else Melinda goes to the beach alone.”

Pat looked like he was trying not to laugh as well. He nodded, but didn’t speak. After pointing a finger of warning at each of us, Mr. Adam went back down the hall.

Pat and I erupted in laughter.

---

Since my bathing suit was baby pink, I decided Mae should have matching hair. While it was wet, I added some purple highlights and pulled it into a ballet bun, wrapping a purple lock around the outside. I picked a sundress with matching purple and pink to go with it. When I met Pat in the living room an hour later, his jaw literally dropped.

I giggled. “You hate my outfit, don’t you?”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he crossed the room, taking my face in both his hands and crushing his mouth to mine. A warmth spread throughout my body as he released me.

“You look amazing. Everyone is going to love you. You all set?”

I nodded. “Yeah, but what about lunch?”

Pat led me to the kitchen, where a large insulated tote was sitting on the table. “Shelia packed it for us.”

I followed Pat to the car, surprised at all the stuff in the backseat. There was a large multicolored umbrella, a matching blanket with fringed edges, and a large tote with towels sticking out the top. I placed my bag beside it with raised eyebrows.

“Is all that stuff necessary?”

Pat cocked his head toward the front. “Come on. Get in.”

It took us a little over half an hour to get to the beach. As we cruised along the highway, I turned to Pat.

“So, I’ve been to a couple of parties now and there’s two questions I’ve managed to avoid.”

“Yeah?” Pat spared me a quick glance before turning to his attention back to the road. “What were they?”

“How we met and how long we’ve been together. I mean, I know you don’t want anyone knowing about Hartfield and I didn’t think you wanted people to know I’m friends with your younger brother. Then they’d realize I’m only thirteen.”

Pat laughed. “Well, my friends all know I go to a boarding school back east. But why don’t we just say that you’re a family friend? That’s not exactly a lie.”

I nodded. “I can do that. And we’ve been together?”

Pat shrugged. “Sweetheart, I don’t know what to answer when people at Hartfield ask.”

I bit my lip. “I just tell people we’ve been on and off since Thanksgiving.”

“True. And we’ve been more serious the past—” He swore. “I don’t remember when we got back together. It feels like we never broke up.”

I smiled. “It was about six weeks ago.”

Pat reached for my hand. “Best six weeks ever. I’m really glad you’re here.”

I squeezed his hand. “Me, too. Best vacation ever.”

Pat’s Story

After breakfast, Mom drove Walter to work on her way to the studio. Since my girlfriend was still sleeping, I brought my phone outside, sitting by the pool. I wanted to read how Tomodachi had done at the box office yesterday. I knew it was too early to really know, but the early projections had it hitting in the top ten, possibly even the top five. Unfortunately, even though Burn Rubber 2 had premiered last weekend, reviewers expected to take the top spot again this week.

I read through the reviews of some of the more reputable critics. Most of them praised my performance. There were a few who didn’t. Instead of getting upset with them, I tried to picture what they were criticizing.

Overall, one or two of them made some valid points, but most had to do more with the writing of the script than with my actual performance. I remembered having some similar concerns as I recited my lines. At the time, I hadn’t thought to voice my opinion.

My mind drifted to the script for In the Running. I had a few concerns there. I wondered, if I got the part, would I be able to say something?

Melinda interrupted my musings. After a quick kiss, she sat next to me on the deck chair. “Hey. Didn’t think anyone would be up yet.”

I shrugged. “Walter and I went running before he left.”

“He’s not here? I thought we were going hiking today.”

I shook my head. “Tomorrow. He’s working today. Mom, too.”

“Oh. So, what are we doing? Sitting by the pool?”

“Actually, some friends invited us to hang out at the beach. Basically a triple date. But only if you want.”

Melinda looked uncomfortable with the idea.

I ran my hand along her back. “It’s okay if you don’t. We can do something else.”

She blushed, which I found adorable. “Okay. This is going to sound stupid and shallow, but I’m just worried that if we go to the beach, my hair color will wash out.”

She was right. It was stupid and shallow. And completely out of character.

I booped her nose. “Then don’t go in the water.”

“Will everyone make fun of me?”

I laughed. “Trust me, you’ll fit right in. These girls never go in the water.”

Melinda stood, grabbing my hand and pulling me to my feet. She moved so quickly, we were halfway to the house before I realized what was going on.

She smiled as we entered the house. “If we’re going to the beach, you have to help me decide what to wear.”

“I am so not the person for this job.” I didn’t quite keep the whine out of my voice. “Let me get Shelia. She’s a girl. She can help.”

Melinda dragged me up the stairs and all the way to her room. When we reached the doorway, she grabbed my shoulders, turned me so I was facing her door, and pushed down slightly. “Stand here.”

I smirked. “Are you going to do a fashion show?”

She rolled her eyes, but I had no idea what she was saying about me. “No. I just need to you tell me which bathing suit I should wear. I don’t want to embarrass you. Or look five.”

How on earth was I supposed to do that? Before I could protest, she disappeared into the closet, emerging with three suits and laying them on the floor.

I recognized the first one. She had worn it the other day. It looked like something she might wear to dance class.

The second one was essentially backless. While I knew she would look gorgeous in it, the last time she wore it, we had broken up. I was kind of afraid of what might happen if she wore it again.

The third suit was a two-piece I had never seen before. The top looked like a shirt, but it had spaghetti straps that tied together near the shoulders and the bottom had strings on the side. It was definitely something my friends would wear at the beach. Melinda would fit right in. But I wasn’t sure I wanted her to.

Out of the three, though, the new one was probably best. I pointed to it. “I don’t think I’ve seen you in that one.”

Melinda smiled. “Nope. Just bought it last week.”

“When you went shopping with my brother? He let you buy that?” I was a little surprised. Sure, the top was long enough to cover most of her stomach, but it was still pretty revealing.

Melinda smirked. “I may have bought it while he wasn’t watching.”

“Well, honestly, I think you would look fantastic no matter what you wear. But I’ve seen you in the other two suits. Might be nice to see that new one on you. Just saying.”

Melinda sent me a coy smile. I wanted to kiss her. But Dad had to kill the mood.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

At the sound of Dad’s voice, I turned to see him barreling down the hall.

Holding my hands in defense, I quickly stepped away from the door. “I wasn’t in her room. I swear. She asked for help picking out a bathing suit for the beach.”

Melinda nodded, pointing to the floor. “I want to fit in with Pat’s friends.”

Dad glanced at the options before shaking his head. “None of those. You should wear jeans. And long sleeves. You won’t have to worry about sunburn.”

“I’ll think about it. Thanks.”

Dad turned to me. “Not one toe over that threshold, young man, or else Melinda goes to the beach alone.” He pointed fingers at each of us, eyeing us carefully, before heading down the hall.

I turned back to Melinda. She burst into laughter. I couldn’t help but join her.

***

As much as I loved Melinda, her daily transformation into Mae was getting on my nerves. She used to be able to leave the house at a moment’s notice. Now I had to wait an hour whenever we needed to go anywhere.

While she was busy turning herself into a grape, albeit a cute one, I dug all the beach stuff from the closet and tossed it in the back of my car. That took a whole ten minutes, and that was just because I was taking my time.

I flopped on the living room couch, texting Justin to figure out where on the beach we should meet. I was a little surprised he was awake already. It was before noon.

I was contemplating whether I should go check on my girlfriend when she joined me in the living room. She was wearing a pink and purple sundress that somehow perfectly matched her bubble-gum pink hair. She looked so amazing, part of me wanted to skip the beach and spend our day upstairs.

She giggled. “You hate my outfit, don’t you?”

I couldn’t answer her with words. Wordlessly, I crossed the room and took her head in my hands, crushing my mouth to hers. My heart raced, and I craved every inch of her.

But we had other plans for the day. Smiling, I took a step back. “You look amazing. Everyone is going to love you. You all set?”

“Yeah, but what about lunch?”

Taking her hand, I brought her to the kitchen. “Shelia packed it for us.” I grabbed the insulated tote and headed to the car. Melinda sent me a confused look as she tossed her bag in the back.

“Is all that stuff necessary?”

I smiled. “Come on. Get in.”

As we drove to the beach, Melinda turned to me. “So, I’ve been to a couple of parties now and there’s two questions I’ve managed to avoid.”

What was she dying to ask me? It didn’t have anything to do with my exes, did it?

I tried to keep my tone neutral. “Yeah? What were they?”

“How we met and how long we’ve been together.”

I raised my eyebrows. Did she seriously not know the answer to those questions?

“I mean, I know you don’t want anyone knowing about Hartfield and I didn’t think you wanted people to know I’m friends with your younger brother. Then they’d realize I’m only thirteen.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, my friends all know I go to a boarding school back east. But why don’t we just say that you’re a family friend? That’s not exactly a lie.”

She nodded. “I can do that. And we’ve been together?”

Oh man. She was really over-thinking this. I shrugged. “Sweetheart, I don’t know what to answer when people at Hartfield ask.”

“I just tell people we’ve been on and off since Thanksgiving.”

“True. And we’ve been more serious the past—” I swore. “I don’t remember when we got back together. It feels like we never broke up.”

“It was about six weeks ago.”

Of course she knew. I took her hand. “Best six weeks ever. I’m really glad you’re here.”

She squeezed my hand. “Me, too. Best vacation ever.”

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.