Melody and the BIG Meet
Book one in a series
By Jeremy Thayer
Copyright 2011 Jeremy Thayer
Smashwords Edition
For Brittanie, Ashley, and Kim
I love you all
The “Benjamin Franklin Penguins” have no affiliation to or with the “Pittsburg Penguins” pro hockey team and their respective prospects
Melody Angelic, Tasha Valentine, and Courtney Addams are trademarks of Picc Inc.
“Battleship” and “Electronic Battleship” are registered trademarks of the Milton Bradley Co.
Chapter I
Melody is a young girl.
She loves many of the same things that other girls do.
She loves to look pretty.
She loves to ride her bike.
She loves football season.
She loves to laugh out loud.
She loves to go to church.
And, she loves to sing with all of her heart.
But, today Melody doesn't feel like singing,
Because she has a BIG problem.
A cool wind blew through the schoolyard. It was a refreshing change from all of the hot days of summer. Melody watched a single leaf fall from a nearby tree. "Do you see that, Courtney?" Melody said, with excitement. "A leaf just fell! And, it's like, cooler today! It must be fall! I sure love fall!"
Courtney shrugged her shoulders and said, "So....Big deal! Like, you sure do get excited over some of the oddest things."
Just then, the classroom bell rang, and a familiar; yet awful, ear-piercing sound once again could be heard. "Time for fourth period...get in your rooms, pronto!" said principal Braswell, with his usual grumble. "Aww...man biology. I HATE biology!" said Courtney, as she collected her things.
"Well, at least you don't have Mr. Braswell for a teacher this year!" Melody said, with a chuckle. "See ya later, remember to keep your guard up!" Courtney said, with a laugh as she left on her quest to enter the "Dreaded dungeon of Biology." "Ooops! I better run myself!" said Melody to herself, as she hurried to make it to her class before the final bell.
The next two hours felt like an eternity until, as if it were the sounding of the "Liberty Bell"; the final bell rang. "Finally!" said Courtney upon seeing her familiar friend. "....Like, I had to fight off sleep, boredom, and the occasional bad joke from Mrs. Grisham! Yuck!" Melody laughed because she definitely knew the feeling. She had to endure her unemotional ways last year
Just then, something caught her eye as she was walking out of the schoolyard. "Hey Courtney! Look at this!" Melody said. "What is it, Melody?" said Courtney, in her own special way. It was a giant poster pasted to the cola machine that read, "Fall school track team meeting- in the football stadium Three o'clock sharp today- You must attend if you want to tryout for the team."
“Wow! Like, you should try out for that Melody. You are always so good at running." said Courtney, with the knowledge that Melody won Two gold medals in the annual school track and field competition last year. "Well....I don't know, I'm not that good.... and besides, that's for all of the more popular, stronger girls." Melody said, with a frown.
"Oh! Come on, Melody! Do you want me to drag you down there kicking and screaming?" Courtney said, trying to be tough. (But, not doing so well) "Well, I still don't think it's a good idea but...I guess, I will if you will." said Melody. "Okay done! Now, let's go before you change your mind." said Courtney, turning towards the football field. "Okay! Okay! I'm going." said Melody, with a sigh as she began to travel in the same direction. Little did she know that what she was about to do was going to turn into more than she had bargained for.
Chapter II
The sound of the many classmates waiting to hear from the coach filled the football stands, as Melody and Courtney entered between the two columns shaped like penguins leading into the stadium. The Emperor penguins was the team mascot. They had a long upstanding tradition at Benjamin Franklin high. "Oh no! Not Miss goody-goody Melody! I don't want her on my team!" said one of the older girls, as Melody and Courtney took a seat on a lower bleacher.
Melody didn't have too many friends at school. She wasn't into the same things that many of the other boys and girls were. Melody didn't wear the same styles as other girls. She didn't smoke. She didn't drink. She didn't use drugs or hang around with those who did. Because, she believed that those things were wrong and she didn't hang out with those who believed they were right, many at school thought she was a snob. Many of the school students thought that Melody believed she was better than they were, so they teased, mocked, and made fun of her all the time.
"Hey Melody! I'm drinking a beer! You better go tell a teacher!" said a boy laughing with his friends in the back of the bleachers. Many began to snicker, snort, and laugh. "They're just jealous that you have some morals and they don't.", Courtney whispered to her friend. Just then, the ear-piercing sound of a whistle could be heard.
"Tweeeet...tweeet! Okay… I'm sure most of you already know me, but in case you don't, I am track coach Davis. I will be your coach this year, and if you make the team I will expect you to work hard. We will have two meets this month and, before our winter break; and if you’re good enough… a statewide track meet in November. We are going to win! Win! Win! And......."
The coach went on and on and on… like many coaches do. An hour later, the coach said, "Okay! Now, the rules state that you must have a track outfit to be on our team. You must acquire one by the time we have our school tryouts, at Three o'clock tomorrow. The rules state that you must have an outfit to tryout, whether you make the team or not. The school will provide you with one at a cost of Twelve dollars. If you do not make the team, your money will be refunded upon return of the outfit. Here's what one shall look like, for the boys.... and for the girls...."
"Skimpy shorts! A flimsy top! I don't believe in wearing anything like that! This must have been the WRONG decision." Melody thought to herself, as coach Davis finally came to a close. The boys and girls filed
out of the stadium quickly, as if there had been a fire or a famous movie star just outside.
"Finally! Are you coming Melody?" said Courtney with a sigh of relief. "No....I need to talk to the coach Davis for a minute." said Melody. "Okay Like, I'll see ya tomorrow!" Courtney said, slowly walking out.
"Coach Davis!" Melody called as he was about to leave in his big brown truck. "Yes? Whatcha need?" said coach Davis, seemingly in a hurry. "I need to talk to you about the track outfits....I....I...don't believe in wearing anything like that." Melody said, with a frown.
"Well, the rules state that you just need a track outfit. There is really no regulation on what style you can wear, so I know that you will think of something. I'm sorry but I must be going or I'm gonna hear it from my wife!" said the coach, as he began to speed away.
Confused and puzzled, Melody began walking home, thinking about all that had happened. She wanted to tryout for the team but didn't know what to do. "I think I'll ask my mom." Melody said to herself, walking down the long path that led to the green house with white shutters that she called home.
Chapter III
The familiar smell of spices filled the air, as Melody opened the front door. Mom was in her normal mode, cooking the family dinner with one hand and hanging up the telephone with the other. "Hi honey! Did you have a good day?" said mom, with her usual cheerfulness. "I'm just got off the phone with your Nana. She just gave me a wonderful new recipe to try." Just then, as if a bolt of lightning had just struck; Melody got an idea.
"Mom, I know you're busy but, can I talk to you for a second? There are these track team tryouts at school, but I have to have a track outfit even to be considered. All the school has is short shorts and a top you can see through. Mom, I really want to at least tryout for the team but, I don't have a decent outfit. So....could you....please, please...ask Nana if she could come up with something." said Melody, looking at her mother with sad puppy dog eyes.
"Okay! Okay! When do you need this outfit?" said her mom, in a way only mothers can. "Er....uh....umm....tomorrow." Melody said, as if walking on eggshells. "Tomorrow! I don't think that she could do anything that quick! But, I'll ask her anyway. Later though, because my food is beginning to stick." said her mom, as if to change the subject.
Melody's heart sank as she put down her backpack in her room. Her dreams of running in a big race seemed shattered. She wanted so much just to be noticed, just to be accepted by her classmates and this was the only way she thought she could. She felt like crying as she lay on her bed sulking. "Dinner!" her mom called, interrupting her moment of self-pity. "Okay I’m coming!" Melody said reluctantly.
The evening dinner seemed not to taste as good as usual, as Melody ate silently. "What's wrong, Melody?" her mother inquired. "Oh, nothing....I'm just tired." said Melody with a yawn. "I think that I will go to bed after dinner....if that is Okay?" Her mom just nodded. She chose not to say anything but, she could tell that something was wrong, just like any good mother can.
Melody lay awake upon her bed that night. She was tired like she had said, but not sleepy. She was tired of all the looks, all of the bad names, all of the rejection that she had carried for so long. She was different; nothing was going to change that. She only wanted, in spite of her moral differences; to feel some acceptance. A feeling of belonging by her classmates. Running was something that she was good at, something that maybe....just maybe she could be noticed for.
The next day, she awoke to a very strange sight seemingly glowing from her bedroom door. Could it be? Can it be? It was! Hanging on her bedroom doorknob was a track outfit. There was a shirt with red and blue stripes with stars sewn down each arm. The word "Penguins" was on the front with an emblem of a penguin stitched into the back. Also, there was a long skirt with red and blue stars going down the seams and around its hem. The outfit was made out of a material they make sleeping bags from but, Melody didn't care because to her it was an outfit. To her, it was a hope.
"It took your Nana half of the night to make it, so you owe her a big thank you." said mom, as Melody held the new outfit up to herself. "Oh I will! Thank you! Thank you!" Melody said with a squeal of delight. She hugged her mom and then got ready for school. Melody felt like she was flying like an eagle on the walk to school. Could her dreams really come true?
Chapter IV
As she made the turn towards Benjamin Franklin High, a familiar sound could be heard. "Hey Melody....over here!” It was Courtney and she too was excited about what was going to take place later that day. "You really need to see my track outfit, Melody. Like, it's hot! Blue with red trim.... made in Paris by that new designer I was telling you about. What did you bring?" Melody thought quickly not to be embarrassed by her homemade jiffy outfit and said, "er...uh...It's a surprise. You'll see later. There's the bell! See ya!"
You see, Courtney and Melody have been the best of friends ever since the Second grade, but they live in two separate worlds. For Courtney, a world of fashion and high society, country club socials, and expensive gifts. For Melody, well.... a world of hand-me-down living, filled with garage sales and consignment shops. Always having the best... but at discounted sale prices so to speak. Even though they were like night and day, Melody and Courtney never let anything penetrate their circle of friendship. Well....usually.
The next four hours seemed to fly by as Melody could think of nothing more than running on that field with the whole school cheering her on. She could almost see the smiles and looks of praise as she accepted the "Athlete of the year award." As Melody sat daydreaming of grandeur, chemistry was the furthest thing from her mind.
Mrs. Griffin in her usual monotone sound went on and on for what seemed like an eternity about something that any other teacher in the school could explain in two minutes. Finally.....it happened. Brrrring! The school bell rang its chord of freedom. Melody could hardly wait! Then sadly.....reality slowly reared its ugly head.
Melody slowly trod to her locker, as she passed some of the other girls already in their (revealing) so-called track outfits. Her cruel reality was setting in as she decided not to change in the locker room with all of the other girls. "They will probably laugh and make jokes." Melody said to herself as she went into the small girl’s bathroom just beneath the stairs. Her heart raced as she put on the homemade outfit.
It was the best in the world to her, but she knew homemade meant "Ghetto Hillbilly" to the pupils at her school. She was so scared of being humiliated by her classmates but, she was willing to face her fears for what she knew she could be great at. "You can do this, Melody!" she kept telling herself as her hand slowly turned the knob of her destiny.
It was finally here...the moment of truth as she walked as proudly as she could onto the football field. Almost immediately, a sound of a boy could be heard saying, "Look at that!" Heads began to turn as Melody passed by the two penguin statues. Many started to laugh and tease, but even more were in shock and bewilderment from a sight they could not put into words. One of the most popular girls in the school was in a daze, as she tried to speak.