morning.
"It's too fat to go into my locker," she said,
knowing that it was basically the truth. With all the other things in her
locker, she had to really stuff that jacket in to get the door closed.
"Well, at least wear a hat, gloves, and a scarf,"
Grandma Dee said resolutely. "I won't let you out of the house without
them." Her eyes were twinkling, but Melanie knew that she really meant it.
"Okay," Melanie said. "I'll wear all of that
stuff if it will really make you happy."
A smile lit her grandmother's face, and Melanie was glad she
had given in. She knew deep down that Grandma Dee was only trying to help.
A block from her house, Melanie stopped behind a tree. She
pulled off her ski hat with the pom-pom on top. It looked great on the slopes,
but it was a definite no-no for her mission this morning. Off, too, came the
gloves and scarf. They made her look as pudgy as a snowman. She stuffed them
into her backpack, gave her hair a quick brush to fluff it up after being
mashed under the hat, and took off at a run for the corner where she planned to
meet Shane.
She slowed to a jog as she got close. She had to be careful
now. If Shane saw her running, he might figure out that their meeting was
planned. She wished she had time to look at her watch, but she didn't. Not if
she was going to stay alert for Shane.
Half a block from the corner, she slowed again, this time to
a walk. Her face was hot from running, even though it was a cold morning, and
she was panting, sending little clouds of steam into the air. But if her plan
worked, it would definitely be worth it. There wasn't much traffic, and the
light facing her was red, which meant Shane would have a green right now.
Maybe I'd better speed up, she thought, but just then a
bicycle soared through the intersection. It was going so fast that it was
almost a blur, but Melanie was still able to make out the rider. It was Shane.
She stopped in her tracks. "Oh, no!" she moaned
out loud. "I missed him! I can't believe I missed him!"
Putting her hands on her hips, she stamped a foot. "And it's all Grandma
Dee's fault!"
CHAPTER 12
Melanie stuffed her hands into her pockets and trudged
angrily toward school. The cold wind was biting her nose, but inside she had
reached the boiling point. Grandma Dee was spoiling everything. She was
interfering, plain and simple.
"She may be cool and with it around the other kids,"
Melanie muttered under her breath, "but she's old-fashioned and
overprotective when it comes to me. So what if I didn't eat breakfast or bundle
up, as she put it? And so what if I faint in class—which, of course, I won't
do. It's not her problem!"
She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she almost didn't
notice the boy near the curb. He was bending over, inspecting the back tire of
his bicycle.
Melanie did a double take. "Shane!"
Shane looked up and gave her a lopsided grin. Then he
straightened up and turned to face her. "It's flat," he said, and
shrugged. "I must have ridden over a nail or a piece of glass."
Melanie didn't say anything for a moment. She was doing a
frantic mental check of her appearance. Nose—red. Hair—windblown and messy. It
wasn't going the way she had planned, but she would have to make the best of
it. At least Shane was here—and they were alone.
"So, what are you going to do?" she asked.
Shane shrugged and glanced toward the traffic that was
whizzing by. "Walk it the rest of the way to school, I guess," he
said. "There's nothing much I can do until this afternoon after school."
Shane began pushing the wobbly bike down the street, being
careful to stay near the curb, and Melanie fell into step beside him.
"Isn't it awfully cold to be riding a bike in February?"
she asked. She had wanted to add, "so near to Valentine Day," but she
had decided in the nick of time that it would be too obvious.
"It's not much worse than walking," he said, "only
it's faster."
"But isn't the wind colder, too?"
Shane raised an eyebrow and gave her a
"It's too fat to go into my locker," she said,
knowing that it was basically the truth. With all the other things in her
locker, she had to really stuff that jacket in to get the door closed.
"Well, at least wear a hat, gloves, and a scarf,"
Grandma Dee said resolutely. "I won't let you out of the house without
them." Her eyes were twinkling, but Melanie knew that she really meant it.
"Okay," Melanie said. "I'll wear all of that
stuff if it will really make you happy."
A smile lit her grandmother's face, and Melanie was glad she
had given in. She knew deep down that Grandma Dee was only trying to help.
A block from her house, Melanie stopped behind a tree. She
pulled off her ski hat with the pom-pom on top. It looked great on the slopes,
but it was a definite no-no for her mission this morning. Off, too, came the
gloves and scarf. They made her look as pudgy as a snowman. She stuffed them
into her backpack, gave her hair a quick brush to fluff it up after being
mashed under the hat, and took off at a run for the corner where she planned to
meet Shane.
She slowed to a jog as she got close. She had to be careful
now. If Shane saw her running, he might figure out that their meeting was
planned. She wished she had time to look at her watch, but she didn't. Not if
she was going to stay alert for Shane.
Half a block from the corner, she slowed again, this time to
a walk. Her face was hot from running, even though it was a cold morning, and
she was panting, sending little clouds of steam into the air. But if her plan
worked, it would definitely be worth it. There wasn't much traffic, and the
light facing her was red, which meant Shane would have a green right now.
Maybe I'd better speed up, she thought, but just then a
bicycle soared through the intersection. It was going so fast that it was
almost a blur, but Melanie was still able to make out the rider. It was Shane.
She stopped in her tracks. "Oh, no!" she moaned
out loud. "I missed him! I can't believe I missed him!"
Putting her hands on her hips, she stamped a foot. "And it's all Grandma
Dee's fault!"
CHAPTER 12
Melanie stuffed her hands into her pockets and trudged
angrily toward school. The cold wind was biting her nose, but inside she had
reached the boiling point. Grandma Dee was spoiling everything. She was
interfering, plain and simple.
"She may be cool and with it around the other kids,"
Melanie muttered under her breath, "but she's old-fashioned and
overprotective when it comes to me. So what if I didn't eat breakfast or bundle
up, as she put it? And so what if I faint in class—which, of course, I won't
do. It's not her problem!"
She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she almost didn't
notice the boy near the curb. He was bending over, inspecting the back tire of
his bicycle.
Melanie did a double take. "Shane!"
Shane looked up and gave her a lopsided grin. Then he
straightened up and turned to face her. "It's flat," he said, and
shrugged. "I must have ridden over a nail or a piece of glass."
Melanie didn't say anything for a moment. She was doing a
frantic mental check of her appearance. Nose—red. Hair—windblown and messy. It
wasn't going the way she had planned, but she would have to make the best of
it. At least Shane was here—and they were alone.
"So, what are you going to do?" she asked.
Shane shrugged and glanced toward the traffic that was
whizzing by. "Walk it the rest of the way to school, I guess," he
said. "There's nothing much I can do until this afternoon after school."
Shane began pushing the wobbly bike down the street, being
careful to stay near the curb, and Melanie fell into step beside him.
"Isn't it awfully cold to be riding a bike in February?"
she asked. She had wanted to add, "so near to Valentine Day," but she
had decided in the nick of time that it would be too obvious.
"It's not much worse than walking," he said, "only
it's faster."
"But isn't the wind colder, too?"
Shane raised an eyebrow and gave her a
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