“Hey Mel!” A couple of the guys playing a pickup game of basketball looked up when she called out to the girl getting out of her car. Melinda, who was almost nineteen, smiled and walked over to where her younger sister was waiting.
“Brenda, Brenda, Brenda…” Melinda shook her head as she sat down next to her sister.
Brenda squirmed under the intense glare. “Can the lecture wait until Michelle gets here, so I don’t have to get it twice?” She didn’t have to wait long as a neon yellow convertible raced into the parking lot and their oldest sister jumped out.
Flopping on the step next to her sisters, Michelle took a moment to check out the basketball players. “So what happened this time, Brenda?”
“Tina dared me to act out this scene from Romeo and Juliet and so I did.”
“Where were you when this recitation took place?” Melinda sighed, knowing the answer, but needing to hear it.
“In the middle of a biology lab…”
Michelle nodded. “That would explain why we are now responsible for replacing the lab room.”
“It wasn’t my fault! I was merely exploring my devastation over the death of my true love. How was I supposed to know that Phillip was walking behind me with something that lethal? It’s a crime that they even allow it in public schools.” She adamantly exclaimed.
Melinda shook her head. She had a lot to deal with, what with being the responsible sister. Between their parents being in Belgium with the Peace Corps, Michelle’s party lifestyle and Brenda’s theatrics, her life was full.
With Brenda still spouting the dangers of high school biology, her sisters gathered up her things and carried them over to the cars. As they walked past the boys, one of them called out.
“Hey Mel!” She looked up into the eyes of one of her long-time friends.
“Hello ExLax.” It was a nickname that he earned back in the fourth grade when he poured the laxative of the same name in their teacher’s coffee. He was a notorious practical joker.
Not to mention gorgeous. Melinda stopped in her tracks and wondered where that thought came from. He was saying something, but no words registered until “HE” yelled.
“Melli!” ExLax grimaced as he heard his best friend use the nickname that he gave Melinda when they were kids. Bongo raced over and wrapped his arms around the girl and gave her a sweaty hug. She smiled warmly at Bongo even though she was trying to act like she was disgusted with him.
It’s so obvious that she likes him, but he doesn’t even notice or even care. ExLax stood there lost in thought until Melinda waved her hand in front of his face. He looked over her shoulder to see Bongo sidle up to Brenda and chat with her and Michelle about the “Biology Blow-up”.
“So what are you doing tonight, Melli?”
“I dunno. Since Brenda is suspended, that means that I will probably have to stay at home with her. Mom and Dad won’t be too happy with her.”
He dribbled the basketball a couple of times. “What if Michelle stayed at home with her?”
“Michelle? My sister, Michelle? You mean the party freak who has not stayed in on a Friday night since she was nine?” Melinda placed her hand on ExLax’s forehead to check for a fever to explain his ridiculous thought.
He slapped her hand away. “I’m serious. I think that she would stay in tonight if she had the, ahem, proper motivation.” His eyes twinkled.
“Is Kute_Tush coming home?” When he nodded, her once-somber face brightened considerably. Kute_Tush was Michelle’s boyfriend who was in the Air Force, and according to Bongo, his cousin, the tall pilot would be home on a short break starting tonight.
“If I can get him to go over to your place, will you come out with me tonight?”
“Where are you going?”
“A bunch of us are meeting at Rockets for dinner at six, and then maybe we could catch a movie.”
Both looked over to see Brenda leaning on the car horn. “Sounds good to me,” Melinda called as she walked over to her car. “Do you want to drive?”
“Of course!” ExLax’s parents just bought him a dark green Camero for his nineteenth birthday earlier this year and he loved to show it off. “I’ll pick you up at 5:30.”
Melinda waved as she climbed into her car next to Brenda and followed Michelle’s car out of the parking lot.
“So are you going out with her tonight?” Bongo’s voice broke ExLax out of his thoughts.
“Yeah, dinner and a movie.”
“Well, I’m glad that you decided to do something about that wicked crush that you have on Melli.” ExLax glared at his friend.
“Let’s just play, okay B?” He stole the basketball that his friend was holding and took it up the court for an easy lay-up. “And only I can call her Melli.”
