Fabulous Five 002 - The Trouble with Flirting by Betsy Haynes Page A

Sinclair!
    "You know who I am?" she asked as soon as she
could find her voice.
    Garrett nodded. "I was showing the pictures to the
football team. They said that you were Melanie Edwards and that the blonde in
your class is Taffy Sinclair. You know, I was beginning to suspect that
something was funny," he added with a puzzled frown. "I would talk to
you about something, and then when I mentioned it to Taffy at school the next
day, she would act as if she had never heard it before."
    Melanie thought she would die. Panic almost choked off her
breath. "I didn't know at first that you had us mixed up," she
insisted. "Not until a couple of days ago when you said something about my
long blond hair. I didn't know what to say . . ." Her voice trailed off. "So
I didn't say anything. Not even when you asked to take me home."
    She didn't dare look at Garrett. She had to get it all out
before she lost her nerve or fainted or something. "I know you probably
think I'm horrible for saving yes. And I'm really sorry, but you won't have to
take me home after all."
    "I still want to take you home," he said.
    Startled, Melanie looked up. Garrett was smiling, and his
dimple was even bigger than usual.
    "You do?" she asked incredulously.
    "Sure. Taffy Sinclair is pretty, but it was you I liked
talking to on the phone. Honest! Like I said before, at first I couldn't figure
out why she seemed so different in person. Then when I found out who the real
Melanie Edwards was, I knew who I really liked." Then he grinned
sheepishly and added, "And now that you've been so honest about the mixup,
I like you even better."
    Part of her wanted to jump up and down for joy, but the
other part nagged at her that she hadn't been totally honest yet.
    "I like you, too," she said. "But I really
can't let you take me home. You see, I'm going to the party with Scott Daly,
and it wouldn't be fair not to let him take me home."
    "That's okay. I understand," said Garrett. "Things
really did get mixed up, didn't they? But you aren't going steady with Scott,
are you?"
    Melanie's heart fluttered. "No," she said.
    "Then maybe sometime we can go to Bumpers for a soda
together."
    "Terrific!" she said, and she couldn't control the
grin on her face as they parted. Being honest had never felt so super! But that
wasn't all. Even though it was great to be liked for her looks, it was even better to be liked for the kind of person she was.

CHAPTER 15
    Melanie had never been so nervous in her life. Before Jana,
Beth, and she went into the gym for cheerleader tryouts, Christie and Katie
gave them big hugs. Now the three of them were clustered near the doorway,
nervously rehearsing cheers in their minds and watching other seventh-graders
file in.
    "This is it!" said Beth, dancing around on
tiptoes.
    "I'm really worried," confessed Jana. "I just
can't seem to get some of the routines down. Plus , Mr. Neal is
posting the list of yearbook editors right this minute, and I won't be able to
find out if I made it until after tryouts."
    Even though Melanie felt better about Shane and Garrett and
had been congratulated by all of her friends for her honesty, she couldn't help
wishing she had practiced the cheers a little bit harder. "At least I won't
be first," she mumbled.
    "E-gad!" shrieked Beth. "I might be. Barry.
That's near the front of the alphabet." Beth scanned the growing crowd in
the gym. "Oh, good. I forgot all about Dekeisha Adams," she said,
pointing to a tall black girl talking to friends on the other side of the room.
    Just then Miss Wolfe entered, and everyone got quiet.
    "Good afternoon, ladies. Ve vill begin the tryouts in
just one moment." Then she instructed them to line up in alphabetical
order in front of the bleachers and to come forward one at a time, introducing
themselves and then doing their favorite cheer from the sheets she had passed
out. Across the room at a long table sat four judges: Miss Zimmerman, the music
teacher; Mrs. Strizak, the gymnastics coach from the Y;