as horrible as it was, Brian had a crush on
Melanie.
"I don't know," said Jana, shaking her head. "I
hate to say this, but I'm glad it's you he likes and not me. That boy doesn't
know when to take no for an answer. "
"You've got my sympathy, too," said Beth, and the
others nodded.
"So what did you name the fourth boy?" asked
Christie. "We all know it wasn't Brian."
Melanie grinned sheepishly. "You're going to laugh when
I tell you," she said. "I named him Jason after Jason Rider, the
actor who plays Chad in the soap opera Interns and Lovers. Ever since I
bought Jason's life-size poster at the celebrity auction and hung it in my room
where I can see it every day, I've decided that he's the most handsome guy
alive."
"You're kidding! " Katie groaned, just as
Melanie had known she would.
"I don't believe it either," said Beth. "Do
you mean to say you think he's more handsome than Scott?"
"More handsome than Shane?" demanded Christie.
"Or Garrett?" chimed in Beth.
Melanie could tell her friends were all trying hard not to
lose it and break into giggling fits. "Just be glad I didn't name him
after any of your boyfriends," she said slyly. "I mean, I could have
called him Randy or . . . hmm, let's see, Keith or—"
"Melanie! You and the girls come here. I've got
something wonderful to show you!"
Mrs. Edwards had just come out the back door and was
motioning excitedly. Exchanging shrugs with her friends, Melanie scrambled to
her feet and looked to see that the gate was closed so that the puppies couldn't
get out of the backyard. "Come on, guys," she said. "Let's go
see what the big surprise is all about."
She led her friends into the kitchen where her father was
absolutely beaming. Next to Mr. Edwards stood her little brother, Jeffy, his
eyes dancing, and he held both hands over his mouth as if trying to keep words
from escaping. "I won't tell her!" he burst through open fingers an
instant later. "I promise not to tell!"
Melanie's heart leapt. "Come on. Somebody tell
me," she insisted. "What's going on?"
"Go ahead, Mom," her father said. "You tell
her. You're the one who's making it all happen."
"Okay," said Mrs. Edwards. She took a deep breath
and Melanie could see that her mother was tingling with excitement. "You
know how long we've needed a new car. Our old station wagon spends more time in
the repair shop than in our garage."
Her mother paused again, and Melanie bounced on her toes in
anticipation. "Do you mean, we got a new car? Is that what you're trying
to say?"
"It's a van! It's a van!" shouted Jeffy. "A
BI-I-G-G one!"
Melanie raced to the window and peered out to the driveway where
a gigantic blue and silver custom van stood glinting in the late-afternoon
sunlight. It was big and probably the most beautiful van she had ever
seen. Her friends ran to join her, gaping.
"It's gorgeous!" she shrieked. "And it will
hold a ton of kids. Dad, did you get a raise?"
Mr. Edwards shook his head. "This is all your mother's
doing. Tell them about it, dear."
"Well, you know how long we've talked about going
camping in the summer and even making ski trips in the winter. But you also
know that our old station wagon was not dependable anymore, not to mention
being too small for those kinds of trips. Your dad and I have looked at vans
lots of times, thinking that they would be ideal, but they are so expensive
that we knew we couldn't buy one. Then I got the idea of using it to start a
new business," she said. Her eyes were glowing with pride. "The money
I make will more than make the payments, and we'll be able to do all the things
we've always wanted to do."
Melanie looked curiously at her mother. She had a funny
feeling in the pit of her stomach. "What kind of business?" she
asked.
"A teen taxi service," her mother said proudly. "I'm
going to drive kids back and forth to Wakeman Junior High."
Melanie heard someone groan and knew it must be herself. "You're what ? "
"That's right, sweetheart. I've got it all worked
Melanie.
"I don't know," said Jana, shaking her head. "I
hate to say this, but I'm glad it's you he likes and not me. That boy doesn't
know when to take no for an answer. "
"You've got my sympathy, too," said Beth, and the
others nodded.
"So what did you name the fourth boy?" asked
Christie. "We all know it wasn't Brian."
Melanie grinned sheepishly. "You're going to laugh when
I tell you," she said. "I named him Jason after Jason Rider, the
actor who plays Chad in the soap opera Interns and Lovers. Ever since I
bought Jason's life-size poster at the celebrity auction and hung it in my room
where I can see it every day, I've decided that he's the most handsome guy
alive."
"You're kidding! " Katie groaned, just as
Melanie had known she would.
"I don't believe it either," said Beth. "Do
you mean to say you think he's more handsome than Scott?"
"More handsome than Shane?" demanded Christie.
"Or Garrett?" chimed in Beth.
Melanie could tell her friends were all trying hard not to
lose it and break into giggling fits. "Just be glad I didn't name him
after any of your boyfriends," she said slyly. "I mean, I could have
called him Randy or . . . hmm, let's see, Keith or—"
"Melanie! You and the girls come here. I've got
something wonderful to show you!"
Mrs. Edwards had just come out the back door and was
motioning excitedly. Exchanging shrugs with her friends, Melanie scrambled to
her feet and looked to see that the gate was closed so that the puppies couldn't
get out of the backyard. "Come on, guys," she said. "Let's go
see what the big surprise is all about."
She led her friends into the kitchen where her father was
absolutely beaming. Next to Mr. Edwards stood her little brother, Jeffy, his
eyes dancing, and he held both hands over his mouth as if trying to keep words
from escaping. "I won't tell her!" he burst through open fingers an
instant later. "I promise not to tell!"
Melanie's heart leapt. "Come on. Somebody tell
me," she insisted. "What's going on?"
"Go ahead, Mom," her father said. "You tell
her. You're the one who's making it all happen."
"Okay," said Mrs. Edwards. She took a deep breath
and Melanie could see that her mother was tingling with excitement. "You
know how long we've needed a new car. Our old station wagon spends more time in
the repair shop than in our garage."
Her mother paused again, and Melanie bounced on her toes in
anticipation. "Do you mean, we got a new car? Is that what you're trying
to say?"
"It's a van! It's a van!" shouted Jeffy. "A
BI-I-G-G one!"
Melanie raced to the window and peered out to the driveway where
a gigantic blue and silver custom van stood glinting in the late-afternoon
sunlight. It was big and probably the most beautiful van she had ever
seen. Her friends ran to join her, gaping.
"It's gorgeous!" she shrieked. "And it will
hold a ton of kids. Dad, did you get a raise?"
Mr. Edwards shook his head. "This is all your mother's
doing. Tell them about it, dear."
"Well, you know how long we've talked about going
camping in the summer and even making ski trips in the winter. But you also
know that our old station wagon was not dependable anymore, not to mention
being too small for those kinds of trips. Your dad and I have looked at vans
lots of times, thinking that they would be ideal, but they are so expensive
that we knew we couldn't buy one. Then I got the idea of using it to start a
new business," she said. Her eyes were glowing with pride. "The money
I make will more than make the payments, and we'll be able to do all the things
we've always wanted to do."
Melanie looked curiously at her mother. She had a funny
feeling in the pit of her stomach. "What kind of business?" she
asked.
"A teen taxi service," her mother said proudly. "I'm
going to drive kids back and forth to Wakeman Junior High."
Melanie heard someone groan and knew it must be herself. "You're what ? "
"That's right, sweetheart. I've got it all worked
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