Arrington nodded hello from the front seat and backed the car into
traffic, heading for the junior high gym. With his winter coat buttoned up, it
was hard to tell that Shane's father was a former hippie, who still wore mostly
jeans and sweatshirts with hand-painted peace signs on them.
Melanie racked her brain for something to say. It was always
awkward to try to make conversation with a boy in front of one of his parents.
"Did I tell you that my grandma is coming to stay with
us for a while?" she asked over the sputter and chug of the ancient car. "She's
coming tomorrow, and she'll be here at least a month."
"Really? That's nice. Where does she live?" asked Shane,
and Melanie was amazed that he seemed genuinely interested.
"Florida," she said. "But she's not like all
those retired people who live in Florida. She's really neat. She does
fun things like waterskiing and scuba diving. Last month she wrote me that she'd
been para-sailing!"
"Hey, she sounds terrific," said Shane. "I
can't wait to meet her."
Melanie swallowed hard. Shane wanted to meet her
grandmother? Maybe he did know he was her one true love, after all.
Usually boys didn't talk about meeting girls' grandmothers unless they planned
to practically become part of the family.
Just then Shane's father pulled the Bug up to the curb in
front of the gym. Melanie thanked him for the ride as she and Shane got out.
The line to get into the game between the Wakeman Warriors
and the Black Rock Buccaneers was half a block long, but Melanie didn't mind.
Usually she wasn't a show-off, but tonight she was glad that everyone would see
her standing outside the gymnasium with Shane Arrington and know they were on a
date together. It made her tingle with excitement to think how many girls would
like to be in her place.
"Want some popcorn?" Shane asked nonchalantly when
they finally got inside.
"Sure," said Melanie. "The concession stand
looks crowded. I'll wait for you here."
"Hi, Mel!" came a chorus of voices from behind her
as soon as Shane had walked away. Melanie knew before she turned around that
the voices belonged to her friends in The Fabulous Five, and she waved happily
to Jana Morgan, Katie Shannon, and Christie Winchell, noticing that Beth Barry
wasn't with them. The Fabulous Five had been very best friends since elementary
school, and they almost always did everything together.
"Hi, guys!" she sang out. "Come here a
minute." She was bouncing up and down with excitement as her three friends
approached. "Can you believe this! I'm really on a date with Shane!"
she gushed before any of them could say a word. "Doesn't he look handsome?
I can't believe this is really happening!"
"Well, I believe it," Christie assured her. "And
so does everybody else. You should have heard some of the girls in the ticket
line. They were so jealous of you that they were about to die."
"Right," said Jana. "You two were just about
the only thing anyone was talking about."
Melanie beamed at her friends. "That's music to my
ears," she said. Then, frowning, she added, "Where's Beth? Didn't she
come to the game tonight?"
"She's working at the concession stand," said
Katie. "It's the Drama Club's turn tonight. She said she could probably
sit with us after the half, though."
Melanie nodded. The school allowed a different club to work
at the refreshment stand during each home game, and the profits from that night's
sales went into that club's treasury.
"Speaking of the concession stand," Katie said in
a confidential voice, "would you look who's waiting on Shane."
Melanie shot a glance toward the stand. The crowd had
thinned enough for her to see into it. Unfortunately, Beth was on the other
side waiting on a customer, because she could see Shane leaning against the
counter and waiting for his order as Laura McCall hurried toward him, giving
him a flirty grin. To Melanie's horror, Shane was grinning back.
"That rat!" Melanie said between clenched teeth. "Shane's my date. What does she
traffic, heading for the junior high gym. With his winter coat buttoned up, it
was hard to tell that Shane's father was a former hippie, who still wore mostly
jeans and sweatshirts with hand-painted peace signs on them.
Melanie racked her brain for something to say. It was always
awkward to try to make conversation with a boy in front of one of his parents.
"Did I tell you that my grandma is coming to stay with
us for a while?" she asked over the sputter and chug of the ancient car. "She's
coming tomorrow, and she'll be here at least a month."
"Really? That's nice. Where does she live?" asked Shane,
and Melanie was amazed that he seemed genuinely interested.
"Florida," she said. "But she's not like all
those retired people who live in Florida. She's really neat. She does
fun things like waterskiing and scuba diving. Last month she wrote me that she'd
been para-sailing!"
"Hey, she sounds terrific," said Shane. "I
can't wait to meet her."
Melanie swallowed hard. Shane wanted to meet her
grandmother? Maybe he did know he was her one true love, after all.
Usually boys didn't talk about meeting girls' grandmothers unless they planned
to practically become part of the family.
Just then Shane's father pulled the Bug up to the curb in
front of the gym. Melanie thanked him for the ride as she and Shane got out.
The line to get into the game between the Wakeman Warriors
and the Black Rock Buccaneers was half a block long, but Melanie didn't mind.
Usually she wasn't a show-off, but tonight she was glad that everyone would see
her standing outside the gymnasium with Shane Arrington and know they were on a
date together. It made her tingle with excitement to think how many girls would
like to be in her place.
"Want some popcorn?" Shane asked nonchalantly when
they finally got inside.
"Sure," said Melanie. "The concession stand
looks crowded. I'll wait for you here."
"Hi, Mel!" came a chorus of voices from behind her
as soon as Shane had walked away. Melanie knew before she turned around that
the voices belonged to her friends in The Fabulous Five, and she waved happily
to Jana Morgan, Katie Shannon, and Christie Winchell, noticing that Beth Barry
wasn't with them. The Fabulous Five had been very best friends since elementary
school, and they almost always did everything together.
"Hi, guys!" she sang out. "Come here a
minute." She was bouncing up and down with excitement as her three friends
approached. "Can you believe this! I'm really on a date with Shane!"
she gushed before any of them could say a word. "Doesn't he look handsome?
I can't believe this is really happening!"
"Well, I believe it," Christie assured her. "And
so does everybody else. You should have heard some of the girls in the ticket
line. They were so jealous of you that they were about to die."
"Right," said Jana. "You two were just about
the only thing anyone was talking about."
Melanie beamed at her friends. "That's music to my
ears," she said. Then, frowning, she added, "Where's Beth? Didn't she
come to the game tonight?"
"She's working at the concession stand," said
Katie. "It's the Drama Club's turn tonight. She said she could probably
sit with us after the half, though."
Melanie nodded. The school allowed a different club to work
at the refreshment stand during each home game, and the profits from that night's
sales went into that club's treasury.
"Speaking of the concession stand," Katie said in
a confidential voice, "would you look who's waiting on Shane."
Melanie shot a glance toward the stand. The crowd had
thinned enough for her to see into it. Unfortunately, Beth was on the other
side waiting on a customer, because she could see Shane leaning against the
counter and waiting for his order as Laura McCall hurried toward him, giving
him a flirty grin. To Melanie's horror, Shane was grinning back.
"That rat!" Melanie said between clenched teeth. "Shane's my date. What does she
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