Revenge Of A Band Geek Gone Bad

by Rabinowitz, Naomi

  "But you did something," Tamara went on, thinking out loud. "I've seen that masked guy who was staring in the window before; I recognized his weird, curly hair. He hangs out with Josh, doesn't he? He was at the party the other night ... making out with your best friend! And then your friend Lana was the one who told everyone about the dog ... it all seems very suspicious, if you ask me." She shook her head. "You just couldn't stand that someone is a better flute player than you ... and prettier and more popular and ... and just a better person!" She folded her arms. "You're a total loser!"

  "Am I?" I walked up to the net and peered through it at her. "I'm not the one who's Kathy's groupie. All she has to do is snap her fingers and you and Clara come running. I'll bet if she asked to wipe her ass, you'd do it!"

  "You're such a freak," Tamara said, ignoring my comment. "Well, don't worry, I'm gonna get to the bottom of the recital thing. You can count on it, Moo-linda."

  Tamara stomped out of the gym and into the locker room. I just stood there, thinking that I was in big trouble.

  ###

  That afternoon, I waited for Josh in the band locker room. He flashed me a huge smile when he saw me. "Hey," he said, giving me a hug. "How's my favorite flute player?"

  "Not so good," I told him. I lowered my voice. "We're screwed. Tamara knows."

  "What?" His brow furrowed. "What does she know exactly?"

  Just then, Kathy entered the band locker room. She threw me a sour glance and went to grab her flute.

  "Let's talk about this later," Josh suggested. "Will you let me drive you home from school?"

  "Yeah," I said. "That would be nice, actually."

  "And uh, maybe we can, uh, talk about some other things, too?" Josh asked. His expression was hopeful.

  "Yes," I said, taking his hand. "Definitely."

  He hugged me again. "I've missed you, you know," he murmured in my ear. "Again, I'm sorry..."

  I put my finger to his lips to silence him. "It's okay. I've missed you, too."

  ###

  On the way home, I filled him in on my encounter with Tamara. "So what if Heather Number Two suspects something?" Josh said, shrugging. "It's not like she can prove anything. The recital was over a month ago."

  "But she totally figured it out," I argued. I stared out the window into the winter landscape. The sun was out, but a light coating of snow still clung to the ground. "Did you see the looks Kathy gave me in band?" I shuddered. "We're dead."

  "If she tries to get us intro trouble, I'll get us out of it," Josh said. He reached over and took my hand. "I promise, I won't let anything happen to you. You know that, right?"

  "Thanks." I sighed. "But it's not just that we could get into trouble. What if Tamara's right? What if I really did steal Kathy's seat? I don't know how great I feel going to the orchestra when I kind of feel like I cheated. And let's face it, I did help Kathy mess up that night. She was going to play a really hard piece, too. One I know I can't even play."

  Josh stopped the car and pulled over. I noticed he'd driven us to the lake near his house. "You know, it is possible that she took on something way above her head," he said. "She failed, you did great, and that's all there is to it. You're a fantastic musician. You deserve to be in that band. Trust me; you did not cheat to get in."

  "Okay," I hedged. I turned to him. "But how do we make this go away?" As it was, I knew I wouldn't be sleeping that night. I knew I'd be up worrying that I'd been awarded something I shouldn't have been.

  "Just go about everything like normal and keep working on your music," Josh said. He faced me. "You know, you really are a good person, Mel," he said, smiling. "And I know I really messed up with Kathy and with getting drunk. It was stupid. I don’t have an excuse, it’s just when everyone was egging me on to drink and to be crazy, I got into having all that attention on me... and next thing I knew, she was kissing me. But it meant nothing. I swear.”

  “Even though you once asked her out?” I wondered.

  He shrugged. “Kathy is attractive, okay? I came on to a pretty girl. But her personality sucks. And for what it’s worth, she’s a terrible kisser, too.”

  I laughed, despite all that had happened. “Really?”

  “Really,” he said. “It was like being accosted by a wet rag. She isn’t who I want to be with. I can’t change what I did that night, but I can promise that it’ll never happen again. The excess drinking and my general, well, stupidness. More than anything, I want to be with you,” he said quietly. “You’re smart, talented and beautiful, and she has nothing on you. And I have a confession to make."

  “What?” I asked, his compliment ringing in my ear.

  “The thing is, I’ve liked you for a long time,” he said quietly. He looked into my eyes. “I noticed you last year when you were playing that Hindemith Sonata at the recital. You were just so into the music –- like I get sometimes –- and I wanted to get to know you better. But you kept to yourself a lot so I wasn’t sure how I could approach you. You’re not like some girls who just put themselves out there –- which is a good thing. So when I came up to you with the Kathy thing, it was more than just that,” he admitted. “It was an excuse to spend time with you.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Man, I can’t even imagine what you’re thinking of me right now...”

  I took his hand, my heart hammering in my chest. “I think it’s sweet,” I said. I lowered my eyes as I told him, “I’ve liked you for a long time, too –- since we started hanging out, actually. I just ... I didn’t know how to let you know. You’ve dated so many girls and I figured that if you were interested, you’d just ask me out.”

  “I wanted to ask you out, but didn’t think you’d give a guy like me the time of day,” he explained, “so I decided to go for something I did know you cared about: doing well in band. And then the more I got to know you, the more I fell for you... you do know how I feel about you, right?”

  “Yes,” I whispered, feeling the hairs on my neck stand up.

  His voice became gruff. “Is it okay if I kiss you, Mel?”

  I nodded, but couldn’t make any words come out of my mouth.

  With that, he leaned in and kissed me, only this time, it wasn't like the peck he'd given me in Central Park. This was a real kiss. His lips were soft and moist, and his breath smelled of mints. At first, he pressed his lips to mine gently, but then added more force. As our tongues danced together, I could taste his sweetness and I relished the way his hands slid over my body. I tingled with chills as his fingers caressed my cheek, then tangled in my hair and moved slowly down my back. As I pulled him toward me, I felt a surge of electricity zip up my spine, and for a moment I couldn't breathe. When we finally pulled away, we looked at each other in awe. "Whoa," he whispered, his cheeks flushed. "That was .... wow."

  I couldn't answer him, because I was too busy grinning from ear to ear. My fears about Kathy and Tamara were forgotten.

  CHAPTER XVI

  Now that Josh and I had gotten our first real kiss out of the way, we got plenty of practice. We made out in the hallway by my locker, in the school parking lot, at the lake and at the movies. We even spent a half hour kissing in his car in front of my house ... until my dad came outside and rapped on the windows. I know, I should've been embarrassed, but this whole kissing thing was still new to me. I relished the sensation of having Josh's mouth pressed against mine and the way his hands would gently glide over my body. I loved the way he tasted, smelled ... I just couldn't get enough of him.

  When I wasn't with him, I wandered around like a zombie because, well, then I could at least think about him. I hardly slept or ate anything; instead, I drifted through the day in an exhausted, but nevertheless, beautiful haze.

  ###

  Josh couldn't take me to school on Friday morning because he was helping his mom take care of an errand at the diner. However, Lana was more than willing to discuss my boyfriend —- I loved saying that word: boyfriend —- with me.

  "So, is being with him everything you dre
amed it would be?" she asked as we waited for the bus. She had this all-knowing smirk on her face.

  "It's great," I said, grinning broadly. Truthfully, I'd been smiling so much, my jaw was beginning to ache. But the joy was worth the pain, I thought.

  "Yeah, the first couple of weeks are always fun," she said. She stopped smiling. "Enjoy it while it lasts. Pretty soon, you'll get to know the real him. The real person who forgets your birthday and farts during dinner." She shook her head.

  "Ken did all of that?"

  "Well, no..." she said. "But my dad totally does stuff like that to my mom. I don't get what she sees in him."

  "See, that's the thing," I said. "Josh and I have been friends for a while now and we've been through all this stuff, so it's like I know him already. I mean, he's seen me crying and angry —- at my worst! So I feel like it can only get better."

  "Awww," Lana cooed. "You're so cute! So cute and delusional." She giggled.

  "I'm not delusional," I argued. "I'm just ... how do you know if you're in love?" I asked.

  Lana thought for a minute. "Well, what are you feeling like?"

  "A little jumpy. Maybe a bit nauseated."

  "That could be love," she mused, "but then again, it could just be heartburn. Honestly, Mel, I don't know," she said quietly. "I've never been in love with anyone before."

  "Oh." I hadn't been expecting that. With all the guys she'd dated, I figured she must've loved at least one of them ... Ken, perhaps.

  "I think I could've been in love with Ken," she went on as if she knew what I was thinking. "But then you know, things happened..." She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry if I was teasing you before. You know I'm happy for you guys. I like Josh. I think he's good for you."

  "He is," I said, linking arms with her. "But you're good for me, too. And don't worry," I added. "You'll find someone great. You're too good to pass up!"

  As if on cue, a red Honda pulled up to the curb. Someone was shouting at us.

  "Yo, ladies!"

  "Lenny!" Lana cried. Her face lit up. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

  "Oh, well, I went to get my usual breakfast -- a hot dog and chili fries, but the deli near me burnt the fries." To himself, he muttered, "Stupid clerk. Shoulda gotten his job." He turned back to us. "So, I decided I'd stop someplace else, and I saw you ladies, and well, you look like you could use a ride."

  I wasn't so sure I wanted to set foot in Lenny's car, but Lana hopped into the front seat. I cautiously got into the back.

  "Um, you have interesting stuff back here," I told him, as I cleared off the seat. The tan leather upholstery was covered with strange toys. I shoved a rubber chicken, a paper crown and a noise-maker out of the way, and squeezed in next to a large Raggedy Ann doll. Behind me on the back windshield was a plastic bag filled with Barbie heads. I shuddered as their painted-on eyes stared at me.

  "Whoa, Melissa, don't worry 'bout the bag o' heads," Lenny assured me. "I'm not like some weirdo stalker or anything."

  "What are they for?" I asked in a tight voice. I didn't waste my time telling him that my name is Melinda. Melissa was closer than Marlena, so it was a start.

  "They're art!" he announced. "See, my buddy Chaz is going to barbecue the heads and see what happens. Then he'll display his work at the Museum of Modern Art."

  "Oh." I suppose I should've been more supportive of a fellow artist; after all, some people thought my paintings were unusual, but I was amazed that Lenny even knew what a museum is.

  "Man, don't you get it?" he was saying. "Barbecue? Barbie-q? It's, like, deep and meaningful. HA-HA, HA-HA, HA-HA, HA-HA."

  As Lenny guffawed, Lana also burst into peels of laughter. She seemed a bit overly enthusiastic, I noticed.

  "So, Lenny," I said. "Aren't you late for school? Smithfield is a ways away."

  "Don't worry 'bout me," he said, grinning. "My first period teacher told me he never wants to see me again. He hates me."

  "That sucks. What class is it?"

  "Nothing important. It's just English."

  "As in English as a second language?" I wondered.

  "No, like books and writing and all that stuff."

  "Why does your teacher hate you?"

  "He says I make the least sense out of any student he's had -- and that when I talk it's an insult to the English language."

  "That's pretty harsh," Lana said.

  "See, that's what I said. Then he went on about how if I'd come to class more often, I wouldn't be such a screw-up. I was like, 'Dude, they schedule this class at eight a.m. You're lucky I'm here at all.' " Lenny sighed. "Man, he just doesn't get me."

  All I could do was roll my eyes, but Lana listened intently as Lenny continued to complain about his "unfair" teacher. At last we arrived at school. Lenny helped us out of the car and gave each of us a hug. "Later, ladies," he called, as he drove off. I could still see the bag of heads in the back.

  "He's really cute, isn't he?" Lana said, her eyes shining.

  "He smelled like hot dogs," I replied.

  ###

  As Lana and I entered the school, I imagined what it would be like if she dated Lenny. Yeah, he was kind of a freak, but he was friends with Josh so that would be very convenient. How cool would it be if the four of us went on double dates? And then if Josh and I got married, Lana could be my maid of honor and Lenny could be Josh's best man, and it would be so nice when they walked down the aisle together because they'd actually be a couple! I snapped out my daydream when I suddenly noticed that a bunch of people in the main hallway were staring at me ... and not in a good way. Everyone was leering as if they were undressing me with their eyes. I instinctively wrapped my arms around myself as Ryan Barksy let his gaze wander over my body. I bent my head and quickened my pace down the hallway. Lana also noticed the weird vibe and followed.

  "What's wrong?" I muttered to her. "Did I split my pants again? Do I have something stuck in my teeth?" I opened my mouth for her so she could check.

  "No, you're all clear," she said, taking a look. Another guy walked by us and burst out laughing. "I have no idea what's happening but everyone's definitely watching us."

  "Okay, this is getting uncomfortable," I said, shivering a little. "I'm starting to get the creeps."

  "Me too," agreed Lana, as we continued to our lockers. On our way even more students stopped to stare at me. I was beginning to feel as if I were in the Twilight Zone.

  "There she is," Dani Silver said, giggling and pointing at me. "There's the woman of the hour."

  "Yeah, there's Miss America," called another student, whom I recognized from the soccer team. His friends laughed along with him. "I didn't think she had much to offer ... and whaddya know? I was right!" He gave his friends a high-five, as if that were the funniest thing ever said.

  Lana and I pushed through the throng of students who were also giving me the once-over. I pulled my coat around me, but that didn't stop me from feeling like I were naked. I really wished someone would tell me what this was all about. "What the hell is going on?" Lana asked one of them, shielding me from their gaze. "Why are you all acting like a bunch of jackasses?"

  "Yeah, this is really strange," I said. "Did I do something?" My legs went numb as a thought came to me; maybe Tamara had blabbed. Maybe this is why everyone was eyeing me as if I were a freak show. But as I pushed through the group, what I discovered was worse than getting ratted out.

  "Mel, oh my God, there you are," Maya said, jogging over to us. Her face was red and her eyes were wild. "I — I need to tell you s-something, but it's really bad," she stammered. She took a breath. "M-maybe you're better off not seeing this."

  "No," I said. "I want to know. I can't take another person giving me those looks." A few more boys passed by whistling at me. Lana stuck out her foot and tripped one of them.

  "Oookay," Maya said slowly. She took out her phone. "B-but don't say I d-didn't warn you." She then opened up an online picture ... of me. In nothing but my underwear. I nearly fainted right there in the hal
lway.

  I'd thought that ripping my pants was bad, but that was nothing compared to how I looked in this photo, which I guessed was taken in the gym locker room. My skin was pasty white and folded over in huge, gelatinous rolls. Meantime, my enormous stomach hung down to my thighs, while my butt was so large, it barely fit in the frame. And my underwear, oh God, my underwear. I guess the photo had been taken right before I'd done a laundry because I was wearing a worn, gray bra that barely fit and underpants that were so stretched out, they were practically translucent. Then to top it off, I had this squinty expression on my face as if I were constipated. I resisted the urge to scream in front of the crowd.

  "Unnnhhhh...." I heard Lana gasp. I didn't say anything. I couldn't even move.

  "Mel, Mel?" Maya called, shaking me. "Lana, this isn't good," she said. "I think she's in shock!"

  I continued to stare and stare and the picture, my breaths getting louder. Maya snapped the phone closed.

  Soon, a crowd gathered around us, all cackling and making noise. Of course, Kathy, Tamara and Clara were there laughing their heads off.

  "Look, it's the Pillsbury Doughgirl!" Tamara cried. She shook her head. "I knew you were fat, Moo-linda, but wow ... you really need to do something about that body."

  "I know," added Kathy. "I don't know why they call them 'love handles.' There's nothing lovely about them."

  I was about to run out of there, when Ken joined us, followed by Josh. Guess he'd finished helping Lily. I was just grateful to see him. "Back off," Ken told the crowd. “Get out of here!” Josh approached the trio, his eyes dark.

  "You did this, didn't you?" he growled at Kathy.

  Kathy raised her hands. "Hey, I had nothing to do with this piece of genius. Doesn't mean I can't admire it."

  "Shut up, you're lying," Josh said, moving closer to her.

  "Back off, Kowalski!" Tamara cried, stepping between him and Kathy. "You come near her and I'll scream. Trust me, you don't want that."

  "Yeah!" said Clara.