Melinda’s Journal
Thursday, March 15
I can’t believe how quickly this vacation has flown by. In between building puzzles, I convinced Pat to take me to some of the more popular tourist attractions, seeing some of them for the first time himself.
Every day, I transform myself into Mae before leaving the house. It has become surprisingly easy and I am almost enjoying my alter ego. I have my picture taken every day, but I don’t mind. I’ve learned not to let the photographers ruin my vacation.
Over the past few days, my roommate has sent me links all over social media. Everyone is trying to identify the purple-haired person with Patrick McGregor. Even she hasn’t figured it out! I’ve decided not to tell her just yet. I want to wait until next week when we’re back at school.
After word got out that Pat signed the contract for In the Running, people speculated that the girl with purple (or sometimes pink) hair is his new co-star. Late last night, his agent released a statement that Patrick McGregor was dating a dancer named Mae Dupont. I thought the announcement would satiate the photographers, but I fear it will only make them more eager to take my picture.
At least we are flying home tomorrow, so I don’t have to worry about it much longer. I’m looking forward to becoming Melinda again.
Melinda’s Story
Thursday night, after I finished my last puzzle poster, Miss Kara popped her head into the playroom, where Pat and I were watching TV.
“Oh, good. I found you. I just told your brother. Dad had to reschedule some things. He’s going to stop by tomorrow night to pick you guys up. The car leaves here at nine.”
I frowned. “At night? Are we taking a night flight?”
“Yes. When you land, Pat can drive you home or you can go with the boys to our house. They need to get what they need for school.” She looked at Pat. “Dad has to go up to Boston, so you and your brother are staying with Melinda. You will behave?”
He nodded. “Of course.”
When Miss Kara left the room, Pat kissed the top of my head. “So, I guess that means tomorrow’s your last day in LA. Anything else we need to do?”
I considered the list I had made back in Connecticut. We had done everything on it. I smiled. “I think you still owe me a game of minigolf.”
He nodded. “And I’m challenging you to the maze again.”
That sounded fantastic. But I could make it even better. “What if we play golf and the winner gets a head start in the maze? One minute for every point difference between the scores. Whoever loses the maze buys ice cream.”
Pat booped my nose. “You are so on.”
Friday afternoon, after Pat bought the ice creams, we picked up Walter and went home to pack. I stood in the hallway while Pat and Walter went to their rooms. A moment later, I heard shouts of excitement from each of them.
Walter reached me first. “You made me a puzzle?”
I nodded. “Kind of a thank you for letting me come to LA.”
Pat shook his head. “Sweetheart, you didn’t have to thank us.”
I shrugged. “I wanted to. Do you like them?”
Walter nodded. “Love it. It’s perfect for my room.”
Pat smiled. “Mine, too.”
After dinner, I gave Miss Kara and Shelia their posters. They both loved them and couldn’t wait to hang them in their rooms. After some last-minute packing, the car arrived to take us to the plane.
As we approached the airport, I was surprised to see paparazzi lining the fence. I raised my eyebrows at Pat. “How can they even take pictures? It’s dark.”
Pat shook his head. “I don’t even try to understand.”
We went straight into the airport lobby, letting the driver carry our bags from the trunk. I especially didn’t want the cameras to find me, since I hadn’t transformed into Mae.
Mr. Adam was waiting for us in the lobby. He stood with a smile. “All set?”
Pat shrugged. “I think so.”
“Pat? I need to talk to you for a sec. Walter, why don’t you go store the luggage? Melinda can help you.”
I shrugged, glancing over my shoulder at Pat before following Walter to the plane. Once we were out of earshot, I turned to my friend. “Any idea what that was about?”
He shook his head. “No clue.”
The stairs were already down. When we boarded the plane, I was a little surprised to see someone had already made the beds. I was more surprised to see them occupied.
A balding man with olive skin sat on the pink bed while a man with ginger hair sat on the black one. The man sitting on Mr. Adam’s bed could have been his twin.
The one with red hair noticed us first. As he got to his feet, Walter dropped his bags to hug him.
“Uncle Colin. You guys catching a ride with us?”
The guy across from him clapped Walter on the back. “Aren’t you going to introduce us to your girlfriend?”
Walter shook his head as he gestured to me. “This is Melinda. My friend. Melinda, this is Dad’s band.”
I rolled my eyes. I had kind of figured that out already.
As Walter hugged his other two uncles, the redhead smiled at me. “Nice to meet you, Melinda. You can call me Uncle Colin. That’s Uncle Eddie.” He pointed to the guy across from him before gesturing to the double bed. “That’s Uncle Vinny.”
Uncle Vinny smirked. “Welcome to the family.”
I could feel my cheeks grow warm. I tried to wave and realized I was still holding my bags.
“It’s, uh, nice to meet you. I’m just gonna—” I held up my bag, squeezing past Walter to go to the bathroom. Walter joined me as I opened the hatch to the cargo area.
“You okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I just, I knew your dad was traveling with the band and all, but it didn’t occur to me they might be on the plane.”
He smirked. “After everyone you met this week, you’re freaking out over meeting the band?”
I smacked him, hurting my hand more than his muscular shoulder. “I’m not freaked out. And it’s not the band. They’re your uncles. Your family. They told me to call them uncle. I’m just . . . intimidated.”
Walter smirked even more. Rolling my eyes, I pushed past him, bumping into Pat in the bathroom. He reached out a hand to steady me. “Hey. You okay?”
I shrugged. “I didn’t expect your uncles to be on the plane.”
As Walter squeezed past us into the cabin, Pat smiled. “So, Dad gave you two options. You can hide in the front room by yourself or you can cuddle with me on the divan.”
My eyes went wide. “Your dad freaked out the last time we fell asleep there.”
Pat smirked. “And when I pointed that out, he said he was proud of the responsible decisions I had made all week and he trusted us. Plus, Mom told him that we had been sleeping in the playroom all week. So, where would you like to sleep?”
I bit my lip. “Not sure. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’d love to spend one more night with you, but I kind of want to stay in Walter’s room.”
Pat ran a hand through my hair. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but me, too.”
I raised my eyebrows. “You want to hide in the front room?”
He laughed. “No. I think you should. I love my uncles, but I think if you spent the night in the cabin . . .”
“They would tease you mercilessly?”
He nodded. “Do you mind?”
“Nah.” I gave him a quick kiss. “I guess I’ll see you when we land?”
Pat pulled me close. “Well, I was thinking we could watch one OGNG. To help you sleep.”
I shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.”
I followed Pat back into the cabin. Walter was already on the couch, although he had made room for me and Pat to join him. As I sat beside him, Mr. Adam looked around.
“Everyone ready to take off?”
His brother started whining. “Are you sure we need the pilots? What’s the point of being certified if we’re going to hire people?”
Mr. Adam gave an exasperated sigh. “I want to sleep. Pat? Are you in any condition to fly?”
Smirking, Pat shook his head. “Nope. Probably gonna pass out any minute now.” He turned to Walter. “Doofus? You wanna fly?”
“Nope. Worked all day. I want to relax.”
Mr. Adam turned back to his brother. “Vin. Just go to sleep. I told the kids they can control the television. And Eddie, for the love of Pete, please watch your mouth? There are minors present.”
Uncle Eddie raised his hands in surrender. “Didn’t say nothing.”
As Mr. Adam told the pilots we were ready, I turned to Pat. “How are we supposed to buckle if the sheets are covering the seatbelts?”
Winking, Pat put an arm around me. “Guess we just have to hold on to something.”
Uncle Colin pointed to us with a frown. “Walter! Your brother’s making moves on your girlfriend.”
I could feel my cheeks grow warm. Pat and Walter’s had both turned red. Uncle Colin looked genuinely worried, but Mr. Adam and Uncle Vinny were smirking.
Walter shook his head. “Melinda’s my friend. She’s Pat’s girlfriend.”
Uncle Vinny waved a dismissive hand. “Come on, Colin. That’s old news. So, what’re we watching?”
Walter pointed the remote at the television. “NeoGenesis, the Original Series.” He turned to me and Pat. “Rule two still applies.”
Smirking, Pat pulled me a little closer. Despite our audience, I snuggled closer for take off.
We had barely started the episode when Uncle Eddie stood. “Need to go make an offering to the porcelain god.”
At first, I didn’t understand what he meant. But everyone else did. They all groaned. Walter pointed to me. “Uncle Eddie! There’s a girl here.”
He passed in front of the television with a shrug, but he didn’t apologize. It wasn’t until he entered the bathroom that I understood what he had said.
Uncle Eddie missed most of the episode. When he emerged, he waved his hand in front of his face. “Whoo! That was some burrito. I would avoid going in there for the rest of the flight.”
A few minutes later, Walter started whining that he was hungry. As soon as the episode ended, he went to the kitchen to find food.
I turned to the bed beside me. “So, Mr. Adam? I’m confused. It’s Saturday. Why aren’t you guys playing somewhere?”
He exchanged a worried look with his bandmates before turning back to me with a sigh. “We were supposed to play this weekend. We had to rearrange a few tour dates for personal reasons. After we drop you kids off, we’re flying to Boston.”
Pat looked at Uncle Vinny. “You’ve been going to Boston a lot. Everything okay?”
Uncle Vinny shook his head. “My best friend from college? About six months ago, he was told he has less than a year to live.”
When his voice caught, Mr. Adam put a hand on his brother’s shoulder and turned to Pat. “He went into hospice this week. We all know him. We paused our tour to say goodbye.”
Biting into an apple, Walter sat beside me with a frown. “What’s hospice?”
I didn’t know either, but it still surprised me to hear Walter ask. He always knew everything.
His father shrugged. “Hospice helps people and their families transition in the final days of a person’s life.”
I shuddered and Pat drew me close.
The plane was getting a little too somber for me. I pointed to the television. “One more?”
By the end of the episode, I was having difficulty keeping my eyes open. Deciding it was time to sleep, I crawled off the couch. “I should probably go to bed.” I gave a weak wave around the cabin. “Night everyone.”
Pat walked me to the kitchen, closing the divider behind us.
I smiled as he drew me close. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
“Why not?” His baffled expression was adorable.
“They’re going to tease you more.”
Pat shrugged. “I’m a big boy. I can handle it. Sorry about Uncle Eddie. He can be a little crass. Sometimes I think he was raised in a barn. He’s not really my uncle, you know. He’s just—”
I placed a finger on his lips to quiet him. “It’s fine. I love that your uncles are comfortable enough to be themselves around me.”
After a kiss that made my heart stop, I went into the little room for flight attendants. The seat didn’t convert to a bed, but it did lean back almost as much as a couch recliner. Walter had left me a pillow and blanket. There was even a television if I wanted to watch something.
But I was getting tired. I had no idea what time it was. It took a minute to find the switch, but eventually, I dimmed the lights and got comfortable in my chair. Before I could fall asleep, my phone buzzed.
Pat had sent me a goodnight text. I fell asleep with a smile.
Pat’s Story
When we pulled up to the airport on Friday night, it surprised Melinda to see paparazzi. I wasn’t. Even at night, Dad’s plane was fairly conspicuous. Dad met us in the lobby.
“All set?”
I shrugged. “I think so.”
“Pat, I need to talk to you a sec. Walter, why don’t you go store the luggage? Melinda can help you.”
I sighed. Was he remembering the last time we were on the plane? I wasn’t about to bring it up.
He waited until Melinda was gone before turning to me. “We’ve made up all the beds already for a night flight. I have to share a bed with my brother. Colin and Eddie refuse to share the divan. So, it’s yours. You just need to decide if you’re sharing it with Walter or Melinda.”
I didn’t bother hiding my surprise. “Seriously? On the way here, you flipped out that Melinda and I fell asleep together.”
“Yeah, and according to your mother, the two of you have made a habit of it. However, you have made a lot of responsible choices this vacation. So, this is me showing you that I trust you will continue to make responsible decisions.”
Clapping my shoulder, Dad headed to the plane. I followed behind him.
Walter and Melinda were absent. Uncle Eddie pointed me toward the bathroom. Melinda and I entered at the same time, from opposite ends. She must not have seen me, because she bumped into me. I grabbed her before she stumbled. “Hey. You okay?” She didn’t look it.
She shrugged. “I didn’t expect your uncles to be on the plane.”
My brother had been in the cargo area. I waited for him to squeeze past us and return to the cabin before sharing my news with Melinda. “So, Dad gave you two options. You can hide in the front room by yourself, or you can cuddle with me on the divan.”
She looked stunned.
“Your dad freaked out the last time we fell asleep there.”
I smiled. “And when I pointed that out, he said he was proud of the responsible decisions I had made all week and he trusted us. Plus, Mom told him that we had been sleeping in the playroom all week.” I tucked a hair behind her ear. “So, where would you like to sleep?”
I expected Melinda to be excited, but she bit her lip, hesitation clear in her eyes. “Not sure. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’d love to spend one more night with you, but I kind of want to stay in Walter’s room.”
Now that she said it, that was probably a better idea. I played with her hair. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but me, too.”
She sent me an adorably cute expression of confusion. “You want to hide in the front room?”
Laughing, I shook my head. “No. I think you should. I love my uncles, but I think if you spent the night in the cabin . . .”
“They would tease you mercilessly?”
I nodded. “Do you mind?”
“Nah.” She gave me a quick kiss before looking at me pathetically. “I guess I’ll see you when we land?”
We still had some time. I pulled her into an embrace. “Well, I was thinking we could watch one OGNG. To help you sleep.”
Melinda agreed, following me back into the cabin. All the beds were occupied, but my brother had left enough room on the divan for me and Melinda to sit with him.
Dad glanced around. “Everyone ready to take off?”
Uncle Vinny immediately started whining. I knew he was a horrible passenger. He wanted to fly. But none of us—me, Dad, or Walter—were in the mood to be his copilot.
After Dad warned Uncle Eddie to watch his dirty mouth, we settled in for take-off. Melinda sent me an adorable look.
“How are we supposed to buckle if the sheets are covering the seatbelts?”
“Guess we just have to hold on to something.” I pulled her close to demonstrate. But I had forgotten we weren’t alone.
Uncle Colin pointed at me. “Walter! Your brother’s making moves on your girlfriend.”
My face grew warm. Beside me, Walter’s and Melinda’s faces were also red. Uncle Eddie looked amused, but Uncle Colin looked genuinely concerned.
Walter shook his head. “Melinda’s my friend. She’s Pat’s girlfriend.”
Behind me, Uncle Vinny was smirking. “Come on, Colin. That’s old news. So, what’re we watching?”
Walter pointed the remote at the television. “NeoGenesis, the Original Series.”
Uncle Colin and Uncle Eddie both made a face, but Dad and Uncle Vinny looked interested. Dad was a shunkhead. I had never asked if his brother was as well.
Walter narrowed his eyes at me and Melinda. “Rule two still applies.”
No it didn’t. I pulled my girlfriend a little closer, pleased she was comfortable enough to snuggle against me, even though my uncles were in the room.
As soon as we were airborne, Uncle Eddie got to his feet. “Need to go make an offering to the porcelain god.”
I groaned. Hadn’t Dad warned him to watch his mouth? Walter pointed to Melinda.
“Uncle Eddie! There’s a girl here.”
Uncle Eddie didn’t seem to care. He certainly didn’t apologize. He also didn’t clean up any in the bathroom. When he emerged—nearly half an hour later—he made a face of disgust as he waved his hand in front of his face.
“Whoo! That was some burrito. I would avoid going in there for the rest of the flight.”
I cringed, burying my head in Melinda’s hair. It would be a miracle if she was still my girlfriend at the end of this insufferable flight.
By the end of the second episode, I was getting tired. Since Melinda had fallen asleep in my arms more nights than not over the past two weeks, I could tell she was struggling to stay awake. As soon as the closing credits started, she got to her feet.
“I should probably go to bed.” She waved. “Night everyone.”
I followed her to the galley, closing the divider so I could give her a proper goodnight kiss. She smirked as I turned back to her.
“You shouldn’t have done that.”
“Why not?” Did she really want an audience?
“They’re going to tease you more.”
She was right, and I hadn’t considered that. But I tried to shrug it off. “I’m a big boy. I can handle it. Sorry about Uncle Eddie. He can be a little crass. Sometimes I think he was raised in a barn. He’s not really my uncle, you know. He’s just—”
She shut me up with a finger to my lips. “It’s fine. I love that your uncles are comfortable enough to be themselves around me.”
She accepted my family? Could I ask for a more perfect girlfriend? I showed her how happy I was with a kiss that had my heart threatening to leap out of my chest. I waited for her to settle in her room before returning to the cabin. Maybe my family was asleep.
Or maybe they were staring at the door waiting to harass me.
Uncle Eddie, of course, saw me first. “You were in there a long time. We were wondering if you were coming back.”
I shook my head. “I was explaining your lack of decorum. Told her you were raised in a barn.”
The rest of my uncles found me hilarious. Dad looked like he wanted to laugh, but knew he should yell at me for being disrespectful. He settled for sending me a look similar to the one Mom usually gave me.
As I settled in beside my brother, I sent Melinda a quick text wishing her a goodnight. It was the first time all week I fell asleep without her in my arms. And I was a little lonely.
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 