Free A Rose for Melinda by Lurlene McDaniel Page A
Authors: Lurlene McDaniel
with his new
airhead girlfriend. Who wants to
be subjected to seeing them do
the kissy-face thing all night
long? Not me! And yes, I'd like
wishing Jesse happy New Year.
You know, he may be the only
nice guy left on the planet.
Bring brownies, the
ones you bake with the M&M's in
them. I'll cover the popcorn and
soda. We'll have fun. And Jesse
will be so surprised. Yikes! I just
thought of something. What if
he's at a party with Beth?
Then he'll hate himself
because he wasn't home when
you called. Trust me.
December 30
My Confession
I am pond scum. Puppy piddle. Turtle turds and beetle dung. And every other nasty thing I can think of! Why am I all of these loathsome things? Because I've fallen in love with Jesse Rose. And the only reason I'm writing it down is that there's no one I can tell. Especially my best friend in the whole entire world, Melinda. And if I don't tell someone, I'm going to burst. So this piece of notebook paper becomes my “confessor” and the keeper of my awful secret.
Jesse treats Melinda like she's a queen. I want a guy to treat me the same way. But no boy does. Things startout good between us, but once we get used to each other and the goo-goo feelings fade, we drift apart. Most of the time, I get pressured to do things I don't want to do with the guy. If I don't cave, he walks. That's the way it was with Kerry.
Except I did let him go a little too far (not all the way, but almost!). So now he's spreading rumors, and there's nothing I can do, because kids at school want to believe him—Mr. Cool Jock. Now other guys are asking me out because they think I'm easy—which I'm NOT!
I never want Melinda to know any of this. Especially how I feel about Jesse. What kind of friend wants her best friend's guy? Especially a best friend who's sick with a terrible disease? Also, I know the truth about Jesse and Beth (that Beth is nothing to him) and I don't tell Melinda. Still I let Melinda think the worst.
See how worthless I am? I hate me. But not enough to stop loving Jesse.
Signed,
Taylor
Prisoners of Dark Secrets
P.S. I feel better after writing this. Tomorrow night I'll hear Jesse's voice on the phone. It'll break my heartbecause I know he only cares for Melinda, but I want to hear him so much. Love hurts. Oh yeah … it hurts big-time.
MELINDA'S DIARY
January 3
Returned to school today. Scared, but happy to be back. I'd forgotten how loud the halls can be after all the time I've spent alone at home. I stood at my locker and soaked up the atmosphere like a sponge. Some kid almost ran into me and I nearly panicked because I sure don't want to get injured and end up back in the hospital. I've had enough of hospitals to last me the rest of my life!
In homeroom, everybody was friendly, but I knew they were talking about me. “She's the girl with cancer,” a girl whispered (loud enough for me to hear). “Is she bald?” “Is she wearing a wig?” others asked. I wanted to yell “No,” but I wasn't supposed to hear them, so I kept my mouth shut and kept smiling. Don't they know it hurts to be talked about? What's wrong with people anyway?
Mom got permission from the superintendent of schools for me to carry a pager at school. If I ever get sick, I can page her and she can come get me. But I won't use it because it's so lame, and besides, it makes me feel even more like an outsider. I ate lunch with Bailey (lucky we have the same schedule!) and got eyeballed by the football players. Bailey says that they're shunning her. Why is Kerry being so mean to her? I'm glad I know someone like Jesse, who's never been mean to me.
P.S. I think he's over Beth, because on New Year's Eve, he said he was sitting alone by the phone wishing he could hear my voice. If Beth were really important to him, he'd have been with her. That's what I
think
, anyway.
February 14
Jesse is so cute and original! He sent me a beautiful bouquet of flowers for my desk for Valentine's Day. My desktop on my
airhead girlfriend. Who wants to
be subjected to seeing them do
the kissy-face thing all night
long? Not me! And yes, I'd like
wishing Jesse happy New Year.
You know, he may be the only
nice guy left on the planet.
ones you bake with the M&M's in
them. I'll cover the popcorn and
soda. We'll have fun. And Jesse
will be so surprised. Yikes! I just
thought of something. What if
he's at a party with Beth?
because he wasn't home when
you called. Trust me.
December 30
My Confession
I am pond scum. Puppy piddle. Turtle turds and beetle dung. And every other nasty thing I can think of! Why am I all of these loathsome things? Because I've fallen in love with Jesse Rose. And the only reason I'm writing it down is that there's no one I can tell. Especially my best friend in the whole entire world, Melinda. And if I don't tell someone, I'm going to burst. So this piece of notebook paper becomes my “confessor” and the keeper of my awful secret.
Jesse treats Melinda like she's a queen. I want a guy to treat me the same way. But no boy does. Things startout good between us, but once we get used to each other and the goo-goo feelings fade, we drift apart. Most of the time, I get pressured to do things I don't want to do with the guy. If I don't cave, he walks. That's the way it was with Kerry.
Except I did let him go a little too far (not all the way, but almost!). So now he's spreading rumors, and there's nothing I can do, because kids at school want to believe him—Mr. Cool Jock. Now other guys are asking me out because they think I'm easy—which I'm NOT!
I never want Melinda to know any of this. Especially how I feel about Jesse. What kind of friend wants her best friend's guy? Especially a best friend who's sick with a terrible disease? Also, I know the truth about Jesse and Beth (that Beth is nothing to him) and I don't tell Melinda. Still I let Melinda think the worst.
See how worthless I am? I hate me. But not enough to stop loving Jesse.
Signed,
Taylor
Prisoners of Dark Secrets
P.S. I feel better after writing this. Tomorrow night I'll hear Jesse's voice on the phone. It'll break my heartbecause I know he only cares for Melinda, but I want to hear him so much. Love hurts. Oh yeah … it hurts big-time.
MELINDA'S DIARY
January 3
Returned to school today. Scared, but happy to be back. I'd forgotten how loud the halls can be after all the time I've spent alone at home. I stood at my locker and soaked up the atmosphere like a sponge. Some kid almost ran into me and I nearly panicked because I sure don't want to get injured and end up back in the hospital. I've had enough of hospitals to last me the rest of my life!
In homeroom, everybody was friendly, but I knew they were talking about me. “She's the girl with cancer,” a girl whispered (loud enough for me to hear). “Is she bald?” “Is she wearing a wig?” others asked. I wanted to yell “No,” but I wasn't supposed to hear them, so I kept my mouth shut and kept smiling. Don't they know it hurts to be talked about? What's wrong with people anyway?
Mom got permission from the superintendent of schools for me to carry a pager at school. If I ever get sick, I can page her and she can come get me. But I won't use it because it's so lame, and besides, it makes me feel even more like an outsider. I ate lunch with Bailey (lucky we have the same schedule!) and got eyeballed by the football players. Bailey says that they're shunning her. Why is Kerry being so mean to her? I'm glad I know someone like Jesse, who's never been mean to me.
P.S. I think he's over Beth, because on New Year's Eve, he said he was sitting alone by the phone wishing he could hear my voice. If Beth were really important to him, he'd have been with her. That's what I
think
, anyway.
February 14
Jesse is so cute and original! He sent me a beautiful bouquet of flowers for my desk for Valentine's Day. My desktop on my
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