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

they looked terrific, too.
    "Gosh. Could I have some of these?" she asked.
    "I'll make you a set tonight," Garrett offered. "I'd
let you have these and make myself a new set except I want to show them
to Mr. Neal, the yearbook adviser." Then he added with an embarrassed
smile, "He wasn't very impressed with the ones I took at the soap game."
    Melanie drifted toward her locker a few minutes later in a total
trance. Garrett was starting to like her. She was sure of it. Hadn't he said he
would make her a set of pictures so that he could keep those for himself? Sure,
he was going to show them to Mr. Neal, but he could have offered to give those
to her as soon as Mr. Neal saw them if he didn't want her picture to keep.
    But will he still like you if he finds out you re
pretending to be Taffy Sinclair? a little voice asked.
    I am NOT pretending to be Taffy Sinclair, argued
another voice in her mind. On the phone he calls me Melanie, not Taffy ,
so how am I supposed to know he has us mixed up?
    You know how, reminded the first voice, he talked
about your blond hair.
    Melanie stared into her locker until the first bell rang,
pulling her back to reality. Closing the door and spinning the lock, she turned
to head for class and then stopped cold. Taffy Sinclair was at her locker, too,
only she wasn't getting her books. She looked especially great in a bright red
sweater and she was gazing up into the smiling face of Garrett Boldt!
    Melanie cringed and slumped back against her locker. What were
they talking about? The party? She peered around Gloria Drexler, who had the
locker next to hers, and looked at them again. There was no doubt about it.
They were staring into each other's eyes and smiling. Were Garrett's lips
moving? Was he telling her how much he liked her blond hair and blue eyes? Her
red sweater? Was Taffy nodding? Was she saying she was glad he was taking her
home from Laura's party?
    Melanie ducked back behind Gloria again as Garrett glanced
down the hall in her direction. Her heart was pounding, her pulse racing. Had
he seen her? Would he think she was a snoop and a spy?
    She waited until Gloria moved away to look at them again,
but they were gone. Both of them. It was as if they had disappeared into thin
air. In fact, the halls were clearing as kids got their books and headed for
class.
    Melanie marched to her homeroom like a zombie, trying not to
wonder if Garrett had walked Taffy to class. Maybe I'll really hurt my ankle so
that I can't go the party, she thought. Or if that doesn't work, maybe I'll
fake being sick. Maybe Saturday morning I'll call all three of them and tell
them I've been throwing up. No, she thought, I don't want them picturing me
barfing up my socks. Surely I'll think of something better between now and
then.
    Scott was standing outside her homeroom door nervously
checking his watch. When he saw her, his face lit up. "Hey, you aren't
even limping. That's great," he said. "I tried to call you last night
to see how you were, but your line was busy."
    "My ankle doesn't hurt anymore," said Melanie. "I
guess you took pretty good care of me."
    Scott shrugged and turned a bright shade of red. "Well,"
he said, and Melanie could tell he was fumbling for words. "It's time for
the bell. I guess I'd better go." Then he shot off down the hall like a
bullet.
    For the rest of the morning Melanie couldn't concentrate.
Scott really cared about her. He had tried to call last night, but the line had
been busy. She cringed. She had probably been talking to Shane. And speaking of
Shane, she thought, did she really like him as a boyfriend? Or was she mostly
trying to keep him away from Laura McCall? The same went for Garrett. He was
gorgeous and older than she was, but was that what really mattered? Or did it
have more to do with Taffy Sinclair?
    "No," she whispered to herself. "I like all
of them."
    Sighing, she thought again about the times when no boys ever
looked at her. She had been chubby and unattractive then. But