Free Fabulous Five 018 - Teen Taxi by Betsy Haynes Page A

15
    "Flash! Big news!" called out Beth, who came
sliding across the cafeteria floor toward the table where the rest of The
Fabulous Five were sitting. She had a lunch bag in one hand and was balancing a
carton of chocolate milk on her head.
    "What kind of big news?" Melanie asked anxiously.
Her mood had improved since the van ride earlier in the morning, but she was
still a little jumpy.
    "Brian is telling stories about you again, but this
time they're not about making out in the back of the van," said Beth.
    "What!" cried Melanie. "What's he saying?"
    "Are you ready for this?" insisted Beth. Then she tipped
her head sideways and let the carton of milk drop into her hand.
    Melanie nodded.
    "Okay. Here goes. He's saying that you aren't the kind
of girl that he thought you were, that you're snotty and conceited and a big
gossip, and that he doesn't like you anymore."
    Melanie sucked in her breath. "Oh, my gosh. Who told
you that?"
    "Keith," Beth answered. "He heard him say it
in English class. Keith also said that it really surprised him because Brian
usually talks nonstop about how great you are. He asked me if I knew why Brian
changed his mind about you, and of course, I said no."
    "Why the long face, Mel?" cried Katie. "That's
exactly what you wanted Brian to think, isn't it?"
    Melanie felt a lump forming in her throat. "I thought
it was," she said slowly. "But now I'm not so sure. I mean, you
should have been there yesterday on the way home and again this morning.
Especially this morning. I really said some terrible things, and Brian knew
some of them were about him. Even Jeffy knew. I feel like a total jerk. I didn't
mean to hurt him. I just wanted him to leave me alone."
    "Do you really think you hurt him?" asked Jana. "Maybe
he's just mad."
    "No, he's hurt," said Melanie. "He wouldn't
even look at me when he got out of the van. I don't blame him for thinking I'm
a terrible person. I deserve it. I just wish he wasn't spreading it around the
entire school."
    "But people who really know you understand that you're
not that way," Christie reassured her.
    "Right," said Jana. "You're one of the nicest people in the world. That's why we're best friends."
    "Tell that to Brian Olsen," Melanie said sourly. "Besides,
you know how kids love gossip. Lots of them will believe it, no matter what
they thought of me before. I just hope Laura McCall and her Fantastic Foursome
friends don't hear about it. If they do, they'll make posters and tape them all
over school."
    Melanie picked up her sandwich crusts and apple core and
stuffed them back in her lunch bag. "That reminds me," she said. "I
promised my mom that I'd put up some flyers about the teen taxi, and I was too
upset to do it this morning. I'll see you guys later."
    "If you want to wait a couple of minutes until the rest
of us are finished, we'll go with you," offered Christie.
    "That's okay," said Melanie. "I'll go ahead
and meet you outside in a few minutes."
    She tossed her lunch trash into the garbage can by the
cafeteria door and headed toward the girls' bathroom where she planned to tape
one of the flyers to the mirror. Every girl in school would be sure to see it
there, she thought, and chuckled to herself in spite of her problems. When she
had finished, she stood back and took a good look at the flyer for the first
time.
    Stuck Without a
Ride to School?
Catch Edwards's Teen Taxi and Join Your Friends
Private Van Service Door-to-door
Call 555-4009
    Melanie sighed, thinking how hard her mother was trying to
make her new business work. Not only that, but the only ones at school who had
teased her about the taxi or made fun of her mother for being a taxi driver
were Laura McCall and her friends from The Fantastic Foursome. That was to be
expected since they never passed up an opportunity to start trouble between the
rival cliques. Actually, the teen taxi hadn't been an embarrassment at all.
Shawnie and Kevin had both been glad to ride, and of course Brian . . .
    Her thought