Fabulous Five 002 - The Trouble with Flirting by Betsy Haynes

the halls during the afternoon,
but she still put off talking to him. Instead she thought about Garrett,
rehearsing how she would be honest with him, too. She would simply explain that
she did not have long blond hair and that she was not whom he thought she was.
She wasn't Taffy Sinclair. Still, every time Melanie caught sight of Taffy and
thought about Garrett's taking her home and maybe even kissing her good-night,
she got an ache in the pit of her stomach.
    Alexis, Sara, Beth, and Jana came home with Melanie after
school to practice cheers in her family room. She tried hard to keep her mind
on cheering. After all, tryouts were tomorrow, but she just could not pay
attention, and she always seemed to be one beat behind everyone else.
    Once, after the others had landed from a jump before she
even left the floor, Jana gave her a sympathetic look and whispered, "What's
the matter, Mel? Are you still worrying about your boy troubles?"
    Melanie nodded.
    "Come on," Jana urged. "Tryouts are tomorrow.
Then you still have another whole day until the party. Things will work out by
Saturday night. I know they will."
    Easy for you to say, Melanie thought. But still, Jana was
right about one thing. She still had Friday and most of Saturday to be honest
with Shane and Garrett, and just knowing that Jana was sympathetic made her
feel so much better that she finished practice with the best cheering she had
ever done.
    A few times during the evening she made up her mind to go to
the phone and call both of the boys, but each time she touched the receiver,
she lost her nerve. I'll talk to them at school tomorrow when I can do it
face-to-face, she thought, but deep down she knew that it would not be any
easier.
     
    The next morning Melanie tried not to look at the spot by
the school fence where she had waited for all three boys just two days ago.
There's no use waiting there today, she assured herself. They've probably
already gone by. Besides, she had to be careful to talk to Shane and Garrett
without being seen by Scott.
    "Hey, Melody!" a voice shouted behind her.
    Melanie froze. It was Shane. She would have to do it now.
She couldn't get out of it. Slowly she turned to face him, forcing the corners
of her mouth into a smile.
    "It's Melanie," she said barely above a whisper.
    "Oh . . . yeah, " he said slowly. "I
keep forgetting." Then a smile broke over his face and his eyes began to
twinkle so brightly that Melanie knew he was teasing again.
    She could almost feel her heart breaking. Shane was so
gorgeous and so special. So special, she reminded herself, that she had to be honest with him.
    "About dancing all the good songs with you at Laura's
party . . ." she began.
    Shane cocked his head and smiled softly. "You can only
dance some of them with me because Scott Daly is taking you to the party."
    She gasped. "Flow did you know?"
    "Hey! Scott's my good buddy," he said with a
laugh. "We're teammates, remember? I know he's taking you to Laura's, and
he knows that I want to dance with you. And do you know what he said to that?"
His expression became serious.
    Melanie gulped. "No. What?"
    Laughing again, Shane said, "He said okay, but not too
many dances."
    Melanie laughed, too, and she felt almost giddy with relief.
As she left Shane and walked on to school a few minutes later, she couldn't
help wishing that she could talk to Garrett right then. Quickly. Before the
glow from talking to Shane and the good feeling that he hadn't been angry with
her had time to wear off.
    She wondered later if Garrett had read her mind, because she
had no sooner reached the school ground and headed toward The Fabulous Five's
special corner of the fence when she saw him coming toward her. He was smiling
and waving photographs in his left hand.
    "Hi, Melanie. I made these for you last night just as I
promised," he said.
    She started to reach for the pictures, but her hand stopped
in midair. He had called her Melanie! But that was impossible. He thought
she was Taffy