by Betsy Haynes
"Sara Sawyer told me he was bragging in social studies class about how great it was to have his own private taxi," said Beth.
Melanie sighed. "That's just part of it," she said. "I saw him twice between classes today, and once he yelled, 'Hey, Mel. See you at the taxi stand!' Isn't that gross? I wanted to die."
When they got outside, Melanie saw that she had not stalled long enough. Tons of kids were still lingering on the front lawn. A few of the buses were gone, but several were still loading. And there, in the midst of them all, was her mother's big blue van with EDWARDS'S TEEN TAXI on the side.
"We'll call you and tell you if anything exciting happens at Bumpers," Jana promised, and the others nodded.
"Thanks. I'll see you guys later," Melanie said, and headed toward the van. At least she didn't see Brian anywhere. Maybe his locker door was stuck, she thought hopefully. No. If that happened, he would just tear it off its hinges. Maybe he had to stay late to talk to a teacher. Or maybe he even went out the wrong door and was wandering around behind the school looking for the van. The last idea made her laugh. Who cares? she thought. Anything to keep him from showing up with lots of kids around and doing something dumb.
She was almost to the van when a movement above her head caught her attention. Flinching, she looked up in time to see Brian Olsen dropping out of a nearby tree. Except he didn't drop all the way to the ground. He grabbed hold of a high branch with both hands and grinned at her.
"Hey, Mel. Want to see me chin myself one hundred times?" he shouted. Without waiting for her to answer, he began pulling himself up and down, up and down, while she stood there with her mouth open.
She couldn't believe it. His face was practically a blur, but there he went, up and down, up and down, looking straight at her with an idiotic grin on his face.
"What's that maniac doing?" she heard someone ask behind her.
Melanie didn't wait to hear an answer. Her face was already flaming with humiliation. Sliding the van door open, she ducked inside and sank into the nearest seat. Her mother was digging in her purse and apparently didn't even notice what was going on. Melanie sighed. She couldn't stand to think how many kids were watching Brian behaving like a chimpanzee. How would she ever face anyone again?
At that same instant her little brother went streaking past her. He bounded out of the van and started bouncing up and down on the sidewalk and pointing at Brian. "Look, Mom! Look, Melanie! Look at big Brian!"
First Melanie wanted to cry. Then she wanted to shout at Jeffy to shut up, but it was too late. His shrill little voice could probably be heard for a block in any direction, and anyone who might otherwise have missed Brian Olsen's chinning demonstration would know about it now.
"Wow! You're really strong," Jeffy called out as he followed Brian into the van a moment later.
Brian dropped onto the bench seat at the back of the van and pulled Jeffy up beside him. "You really think so?" he asked, winking at Melanie.
Jeffy was nodding his head vigorously and gazing up at Brian Olsen in openmouthed admiration. "Wow!" he kept saving. "Wow, boy. Wow." Then an idea brightened his face and he shouted, "I'm going to sit with big Brian instead of Melanie. Okay, Mom?"
"That was very impressive, Brian," called Mrs. Edwards from the driver's seat, and Melanie guessed that she had looked up in time to see part of Brian's chinning demonstration. "And yes, Jeffy, you may sit with Brian as long as you fasten your seat belt."
Melanie didn't realize that she was still staring at Brian until he looked at her and asked, "And what did you think, Melanie? I chinned myself one hundred and five times instead of just one hundred."
Fortunately for Melanie, her mother chose that instant to start the van's engine so that he wouldn't have heard her answer even if she'd managed to give him one. Instead, she shot him a weak smile and swiveled her chair around to face the front of the van, busying herself with her own seat belt.
The ride to Brian's house was uneventful, and when the van pulled up to a stop in his driveway, he hurried past her and began talking to her mother.
"Mrs. Edwards," he began, "I was wondering if it would be all right if I brought ten or fifteen bricks along in the van in the morning. I promise that they won't mess up the van. You see, I need them because I'm giving a karate demonstration at an all-school assembly tomorrow. "
Melanie groaned inwardly. She had forgotten all about the bricks. But her mother was looking at him with almost as much admiration on her face as Jeffy had.
"Why, of course," she insisted. "That would be just fine. I wish I could come to the assembly and see your demonstration."
Brian thanked her, and Melanie breathed a sigh of relief when he jumped out and slid the door shut behind himself with no more than a good-bye wave to her.
"I like big Brian," Jeffy cried, diving headlong into the front passenger seat.
"I like him, too," said Mrs. Edwards. "He's an extremely nice young man and so strong!"
Melanie helped Jeffy get his seat belt fastened, thinking that she didn't dare open her mouth, because if she did, she might not be able to keep from saying how she felt about Brian Olsen. Besides that, things were going from bad to worse. Not only had Brian completely won over her mother, but he was embarrassing the living daylights out of her in front of the kids at school. And then there was Garrett. Because of Brian, she was going to have to tell him that she couldn't be his assistant tomorrow after school, knowing that he didn't like girls who reneged on promises. She sighed and leaned back against the seat, closing her eyes. Maybe once she talked to her friends on the phone she would start to feel better again.
Then her mother reminded Melanie of the other terrible problem she still had to face. "I'm anxious to get home and see if anyone calls about the puppies," Mrs. Edwards said in a cheery voice. "The ad to give them away is supposed to start running in today's paper."
CHAPTER 9
The phone was ringing when Melanie entered the house. She glanced over her shoulder and back out into the garage where her mother had parked the van and was busy helping Jeffy out of his seat belt.
I'm the only one who heard it, she thought, racing to grab it before it rang again. What if it's someone about the puppies? What will I say?
Her heart was pounding as she put the receiver to her ear. "Hello," she said softly.
"Hi, Melanie. It's Brian. Is your mother there? I forgot to ask her if I could bring some boards in the morning, too."
Melanie rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. Bricks. Boards. We have a van, not a pickup truck! she wanted to shout.
Just then her mother came into the kitchen. "Oh, is it about the puppies?" she asked.
"No, it's Brian Olsen," answered Melanie. "He wants to ask you something."
Mrs. Edwards took the phone and began talking to Brian in a sugary voice that made Melanie want to throw up. What is it about parents? she wondered as she stomped off to her room. They are always crazy about boys that no girl in her right mind can stand. Brian Olsen is the biggest imbecile in the world, and my mother thinks he's wonderful.
She dropped her books on her bed and then hurried down to the basement, grabbing an armload of puppies for their afternoon outing. Being with them would make her feel better, even if nothing else would.
"Hi, Katie and Scott and Jason," she said, giving each of them a kiss on the head as she scampered up the stairs. The puppies all responded by wriggling in her arms and trying to lick her chin. She hurried back down for another load and brought up Jana and Christie and Garrett this time. Carrying Beth and Shane on her final trip out of the basement, she heard the phone ring again, and she pulled her arms tighter around the little dogs and hurried out into the yard.
Kneeling in the grass, she looked first at little Katie, whose red coat gave her a strong resemblance to an Irish setter. Katie was prancing around in the tummy-high grass with a twig in her mouth. Suddenly solid-white Jason lunged at her from the side and tried to grab the twig. Melanie giggled as they engaged in a
game of tug-of-war, pulling on the twig and growling tiny little growls at each other. Plop! Katie sat down hard, opening her mouth and losing the twig to Jason, who dropped it also when he realized the game was over.
"Oh, Katie, what am I going to do if someone wants you?" Melanie said softly. She picked up the pup and cradled it against her neck. "I just love you so much. You and all your brothers and sisters." She felt a tug on her foot and burst out laughing when she saw Jana pulling on her shoelace.
"Melanie," her mother called from the back door. "You have a phone call."
"Coming, Mom," she yelled back.
When she got to the kitchen, her mother gave her a stern look. "Don't tie up the line for too long, sweetheart. You know we're expecting calls on the ad for the puppies."
Melanie nodded, but secretly she hoped that her call would last for hours and hours so that anyone wanting to phone about the puppies would have to give up.
"Hi, Mel." It was Jana. "Somebody at Bumpers said that Brian Olsen was doing chin-ups on a tree branch by the van. Is it true?"
Melanie sighed. "It's true," she admitted. "I was hoping it wouldn't get back to everybody in Bumpers."
"Well, it did. And of course Tammy Lucero and Laura McCall were the ones spreading it."
"Those two!" Melanie said between gritted teeth. "Leave it to them." Then she went on to describe for Jana how Brian had swung down from the tree and had done one hundred five chin-ups in front of everyone.
"Who does he think he is, Tarzan?" Jana muttered.
Melanie laughed in spite of herself. "I can see it now," she said. "Brian, barefoot and dressed in a loincloth, giving a Tarzan yell and swinging across the cafeteria on a vine."
"Melanie," came a voice from behind her. "Remember what I said about keeping your conversation short."
"Okay, Mom," Melanie called back. "I'll be off in a minute." Then she whispered into the receiver, "Talk as long as you want to. Talk forever. Mom put the ad in the paper today to give away the puppies and she's waiting for calls."
"Well, I do have something else to tell you," said Jana. "Randy said he doesn't like girls who are insincere. But that doesn't surprise me," she added, "since he's the kindest and most sincere guy in the world. Oh, yeah. One more thing. Garrett came over to our table at Bumpers, and he was saying that you are supposed to help him shoot pictures for the yearbook after school tomorrow. Doesn't he know that you have to ride in the teen taxi every day after school?"
"You didn't tell him, did you?" Melanie burst out.
"Of course not, but what are you going to do?"
"I don't know yet," Melanie confessed. "And to make matters worse, I asked him what bugs him the most about girls, and he said girls who renege on promises. If I say I can't be his assistant, he'll think I'm reneging and he won't like me anymore. Then he'll never ask me out."
"Wow. You really do have problems, don't you?" said Jana. "The teen taxi, Brian Olsen, the puppies, and now Garrett. I wish I could be more help."
"You can," said Melanie as she was hit by a sudden burst of inspiration. "Call the rest of The Fabulous Five and ask them to start calling me. Tell them that if the line's busy, to keep on trying so that we tie it up all evening. Even if you guys can't do anything about the taxi or Brian or Garrett, at least maybe you can help me save the puppies."
"Great idea," said Jana. "I'll hang up now and call the others. And Mel. Don't worry. The Fabulous Five can't lose."
Melanie took a deep breath as she hung up, too. Jana was right about The Fabulous Five. At least things had always worked out super in the past when they had stuck together. She would have to keep her fingers crossed that it would be the same now that she needed their help so badly.
An instant later the phone rang again. Melanie stared fearfully at it and then reached out to pick up the receiver. Oh, please, she prayed silently. Let it be one of my friends.
"Hello?" she said just above a whisper.
"Hello," came a woman's voice. "I'm calling about the ad for the puppies."
Tears shot into Melanie's eyes, and she handed the phone to her mother.
CHAPTER 10
In desperation, later that evening Melanie volunteered to tuck Jeffy into bed so that she could talk to him in private. Maybe her parents would reconsider giving away the puppies if Jeffy turned on the tears, she thought.
"But I don't want them anymore," he answered matter-of-factly.
"Why not?" asked Melanie incredulously. Jeffy loved the puppies. Surely he didn't mean that.
"Because," he said emphatically, "I was holding the brown and black one yesterday, and he peed in my hand. YUK! YUK!"
Melanie threw up her hands in frustration and told Jeffy good-night. What else can possibly go wrong? she asked herself.
By the time Melanie went to bed, four people had called about the puppies. Two had said they weren't sure if they wanted to see the little dogs; one said he was looking for a purebred cocker spaniel; and one made an appointment to stop by the next evening.
Fortunately for Melanie, her friends had called, too.
"Just think, maybe lots more people would have been able to get through to your parents if we weren't calling," said Beth.
Melanie knew Beth was trying to cheer her up, but it wasn't working.
"By the way, do you want to know what Keith said when I asked him what he dislikes most about girls?"
"Of course," cried Melanie.
"Well, Keith says that he really hates girls who have a superior attitude. You know, girls who act as if they know everything and they think everybody else is stupid."
"Thanks," said Melanie. "That's a big help."
After she and Beth hung up, Melanie waited anxiously for Katie and Christie to call so that she could add what they had found out from boys to her list. Katie said that Tony Calcaterra couldn't stand for girls to point out his faults and bad habits. Katie had giggled when she told Melanie that, and Melanie had chuckled herself, thinking how many times Tony had appeared before Teen Court. People were constantly pointing out Tony's faults and bad habits.
Christie reported that Jon Smith didn't like girls who were always talking about their diets. He said that he thought they were really just fishing for compliments and trying to get him to tell them how cute they were.
Melanie tried to think about her list instead of the puppies as she got ready for school the next morning. She had added Keith's, Tony's, Jon's, and Randy's pet peeves to the ones she had gotten from Shane, Curtis, and Garrett. Saying nasty things about other girls, talking about other guys, reneging on promises, superior attitude, pointing out faults and bad habits, talking about diets, and being insincere. Surely one of those would discourage Brian Olsen's crush on her, Melanie thought. And if one didn't work, she'd try them all.
She was still deciding which one to try first when her mother called to her that it was time for the teen taxi to leave. "We have to go a little early to give Brian time to load his bricks and boards," said her mother when she got to the kitchen.
"Right," grumbled Melanie.
"And, sweetheart," her mother added, handing her a stack of papers, "here are some flyers about the teen taxi. Would you take them to school and put them around in places where a lot of kids will see them? I'd really appreciate it. I simply have to get more riders."
Melanie took the flyers without responding. How could her mother ask her to do such a thing? She would have to think of some way to get rid of them. Would her mother believe her if she said she lost them?
She stuck a bran muffin into the microwave for thirty seconds, wrapped it in a paper napkin, and followed her mother and Jeffy to the van. She would need all the energy the muffin could give her to face Brian Olsen and put her plan to work.
Brian was waiting at the end of his driveway when the van pulled up, and beside him in a cardboard box were at least fifteen bricks. A couple of boards stuck out the top. Melanie sighed and closed her eyes. Why? she thought. Why, oh, why did this happen to me? Why do I ha
ve to be the one who shows up at school with The Incredible Hulk and his load of bricks?
When she opened her eyes again, Brian had put the bricks inside the van and had gone back for his books with Jeffy trotting along beside him. "Hi, Melanie," Brian called out when he stepped back inside and closed the door. "Today's the big day, and I'm ready. Sit in the front row at the assembly, and I'll wave to you."
"Thanks, Brian. I'll do my best," Melanie said, trying unsuccessfully to sound sincere. Deep down she knew she would sit as far back in the auditorium as she possibly could and probably cover her face with her sweater.
"I want to go to the 'sembly," cried Jeffy. "I want to go!"
"Well, you can't," Melanie said crossly as she tried to corral him to put him into his seat. "It's just for big kids."
"Come back here and sit with me, Jeffy," said Brian. "I'll buckle you into your seat and then let you feel my muscles."
"Can I, Mom? Can I?" Jeffy shouted.
Mrs. Edwards gave her approval, and Jeffy slid onto the bench seat at the back of the van with Brian, glowing with admiration. As he promised he would, Brian buckled Jeffy in and then held out an arm, flexing his biceps and grinning proudly.
"Oh, brother," whispered Melanie. She tried to scoot down in her seat and hoped Brian would forget she was there.
"Hey, Melanie. What do you think of this?" Brian called out.
Without meaning to, Melanie turned and looked. Brian was holding his right arm in an L-shaped position and rippling his muscles so that it looked as if giant kernels of popcorn were exploding under his shirt.
Melanie smiled weakly, but her mind was racing. Now was the perfect time to try one of the turnoffs she and her friends had gotten from the boys. But which one? Superior attitude? No, right now Brian was the one with the superior attitude. Talk about other guys? Who could she possibly bring up with muscles as big as Brian's? Say nasty things about other girls? She would have to give more thought to that one. Renege on a promise? What had she promised him? Point out his bad habits? Eeek! Everything he did was a bad habit. Talk about her diet? Not with her mother listening in. Be insincere? She had already done that by saying she'd sit in the front row during the assembly.
