The screen door opened at Bank's Service Station and Will walked in. "Hi Charlie." He said to Bella's step-dad. "Where's that cute little blonde grease monkey you got working for you these days?" Will smiled.
"She's upstairs Will...in her room. You remember the way?" Charlie said looking completely comfortable with the idea of Bella having a sixteen year old boy in her bedroom. After all, it was only Will and he and Bella had been best friends since they were little. Will climbed the familiar stairs that led to Bella's room. He knocked on the door and then turned the knob and walked in.
"Hi." He said.
"Hi...did you find them?" She asked.
"Yeah...I had to search around in my mother's attic for a while...but I finally found them. Are these what you're looking for?" Will held up a a few 8x10 pictures that were housed in dusty cardboard frames.
"Yesh...you found them. Great." She took the pictures from Will and he seated himself beside her on the bed. Bella and Will looked at the first picture. It was their third grade class. She was seated in the front row with two long blonde braids framing her face. Her smile alone brightened the picture. Will stood in the back row as he always did being one of the taller boys in school. He wore a white overly starched collared shirt and a tie with the knot pulled two inches below his top button. Bella laughed when she pointed to him. Will just smiled. Bella scanned the rest of the faces and put the picture down. She picked up their first grade class picture and looked at it carefully. She wore a pink gingham dress and white knee socks. Her golden hair fell down around her shoulders. "I look like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz in that dress." She smiled.
"I'll get you my pretty...and your little dog too." Will mimicked in the best wicked witch voice he could manage.
They both chuckled. Will looked at the Kindergarten picture. "I was such a stud back then." He grinned.
He turned the picture to where Bella could see it too. Will stood in the back row. He wore a plaid short-sleeved dress shirt and a bow tie that didn't match. His hair was short...and even shorter in the front where he remembered cutting a large chunk of his bangs when he stumbled across his mothers haircutting shears. "Man was she mad at me." Will smiled thinking about his mother. "She said it looked bad for business to have the local hairdressers son be the only one with a bald spot." Will and Bella laughed.
"Look at me? Look at those pigtails. In this one I look like Cindy Brady with my front teeth missing." Bella said.
"I liked Cindy. Ok...that's a lie. I liked Marcia. But, I could have learned to like Cindy" Will responded. Bella punched him in the arm.
"So...what exactly is the purpose of this stroll down memory lane." Will asked. Bella looked carefully again at the pictures. She picked up the last picture Will had brought. She stared at each face in Miss Murphy's fourth grade class.
"Will, look at her." Bella said as she pointed to the object of her search. Sitting in the front row of the class photo was a heavy set young girl with small dark eyes.
"Yeah...who is she? I don't remember her at all." Will said.
"She was only here for like one year and then her family moved away. She lived in that big brown house on the corner, the one with the fence, near the school. " Bella continued.
"Ok Bella...so...who is she?" Will asked again.
"That girl's name...is Melanie Manos." Bella stared at Will.
"What? Are you sure? Do you think that's the same Melanie?" Will asked.
"I don't know for sure. But I am sure that girl's name was Melanie Manos. "Bella said again as she pointed to the picture.
"I don't remember her." Will stared at the eyes of the young girl in the picture. She seemed to stare back at him from behind thick dark rimmed eyeglasses. Her smile was cock-eyed as she tried to keep her mouth closed in an attempt to conceal the silver braces hidden inside. Her hair was long and dark and combed partially over her face. It's texture looked to be coarse and wiry and gave her a slight resemblance to a "Lizzie-Hi" doll. The front of her white blouse contained a small but noticeable stain from whatever that days lunch offering had been. Her pudgy cheeks were flushed a deep red. She was extremely heavy for a girl of her age. All the girls in the front row, including Bella, had their ankles delicately crossed over to the right as the photographer had probably instructed them. Melanie looked as though she had tried too, but was unsuccessful. Instead the knee socks she wore appeared to be cutting off the circulation to her dimpled knees.
"I would never have recognized her from this picture. You're really good Nancy Drew." Will said grinning. "If it is her...the same Melanie from fourth grade, why didn't she tell us she used to live here?" Will asked.
"That's just it." Bella answered. "I don't know."
******************************
Jake and Hamilton stopped by the dining hall and picked up a sandwich and a few snacks to take to the lake. They had settled into one of the row boats that had been tethered to the dock. They shared the sandwich, and as was usual, Hamilton got the bigger half. The little boat rocked gently on the water as the sun set behind them. They both enjoyed the peace, the quiet and each others company.
Jake reached over to the paper bag that was acting as a table cloth. She picked up the glass Snapple bottle and turned it upside down and watched as the drop slowly fell onto the bottom of the boat. "Did you drink it all? Jake asked.
"Did you want some?" Hamilton asked looking guilty.
Jake rolled her eyes. "Would it matter now if I did?" She retorted.
"Sorry." He smiled at her.
Jake stretched out her legs and crossed her ankles. She glanced up at the sky. "This is nice." Jake said.
"Yeah...it is." Hamilton answered. "Know what would be nicer?" He asked. Jake looked up at him for the answer. "If you were sitting over here with me." He pointed to the empty space next to him.
Jake smiled at him. "I wish."
"Come here." He pointed with his crooked index finger.
Jake looked around at the deserted docks. The grassy hillside that fronted Rawley Academy was empty. The evening's darkness blanketed the couple...tempting Jake. "I don't know..."
"Come on..." Hamilton looked around himself. "No one's around...come on."
Jake hesitated for a moment...then...taking a deep breath...scooted over to where Hamilton was seated. "This won't look good for you if we get caught out here." She said.
"It won't look good for you either, Mr. Pratt." He answered. Hamilton smiled and put his arm around her.
"You are feeling brave tonight." Jake said.
"Just happy." He responded. Jake backed up a little and relaxed herself into him.
"Hey...I think someone's coming!!" Hamilton said with alarm. Jake ducked forward but the sides of the boat wouldn't cover her. Hamilton lurched forward and sprawled himself on the floor of the boat. "Down here!" He whispered loudly. Jake dropped down to her knees and fell gently on top of Hamilton. He rolled up to his side to giver her more room.
"Who do you think it was?" Jake asked.
"I don't know." He answered.
"Male or female?" She asked.
"I don't know." He answered.
"Were they coming down toward the docks?" She asked.
"I don't know." He answered again. Jake looked at him as he grinned. Hamilton reached out and pulled her into him. As her head rested on his bent elbow...he reached over and kissed her. She responded to his mouth and the warmth of the evening air seemed to intensify. Jake broke the kiss. She smiled back at him.
"You didn't see anybody...did you? She asked.
Hamilton's eyebrows rose and fell. "I don't know. " He said.
"Hamilton..." Before she could say another word his mouth had found hers again. It had been days since they had been alone together without interruption. And Jake reveled in how good it felt to be with Hamilton. She loved the feel of his arms around her.
Hamilton and Jake clung to each other. He covered her face with kisses and settled his mouth on the soft spot of her neck. She tangled her legs with his and rubbed his back with the hands she had tightly wrapped around him.
A twig snapped in the distance. The sound obscured by the frenzied breathing at the waters edge. Melanie stood back from the dock not wanting to be seen. She watched Hamilton intensely. She imagined herself taking the place of the young girl lying beneath him. She promised herself that soon...Hamilton would love her. He would come to appreciated how hard she'd worked for him. He'd know how special she'd become. He'd recognize how beautiful she was. And,he would be hers. Melanie left the pair and walked the familiar path to Rawley Girls.
Hamilton held his position on top of Jake. They enjoyed another mind numbing kiss until Jake felt as though she needed air. "Hamilton...air"
"Nope...no air until you tell me you love me." He kissed her again.
"Ok...I love you" She said smiling.
Hamilton lifted his body and hung over Jake for a few seconds. He rolled to his side and pulled her into him again. "I don't want leave this place." He whined.
"Ever?" She said, opening her eyes widely.
"I mean tonight," He said.
"I know what you meant. Me either." Jake replied.
"But...it is getting late. This was nice. Let's do it again...soon." She smiled kissing him.
"Tomorrow?" He said with a hopeful look.
"Maybe..." She teased.
"Tomorrow." He said sternly and leaned in for another kiss. "Come on I'll walk you back."
"Ok people...I know it's Friday afternoon and you're all looking forward to a little R&R this weekend. So, let's just finish up our discussion of Othello." A collective groan fell over the students. "Oh...come on. Work with me here." Finn said. "What is remarkable in this play is the tension between conflicting forces. Between the honest Othello and the evil Iago; between the 'angel' Desdemona and, the 'devil' Othello. Between illusion and truth; jealousy and trust; appearances and proof; good and evil, black and white..."
Melanie had seated herself to Hamilton's left. Today her leather cropped pants made it more convenient to sit on the ground...but the high heel shoes continued to be a problem for her. "He is so boring..." She whispered.
Hamilton did not respond. He continued to watch Finn speak although he wasn't really paying that much attention. He took the chance to daydream about meeting Jake later at the dock.
"Well?" Melanie said as she knocked Hamilton's arm to get his attention.
"What?" Hamilton looked at her.
"Tonight is good for me." She said
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Hamilton got up and moved past Scout who was seated to his immediate right. Hamilton wanted to be closer to Jake and as far away from Melanie as possible. Scout seized the moment and was just about to scoot over closer to Melanie when Ryder came out of nowhere and jockeyed for position.
"Ryder!" Scout said.
"Sorry mate." Ryder responded. He turned toward Melanie. "So, luv. What do you say you and I take a lovely moonlight drive this evening?"
"And what part of 'Get Out Of My Sight' are you not understanding?"
Finn continued. "Like King Lear, like Oedipus, Othello is blind to the truth and only realizes it too late." Finn focused on one yawning student. Finn stopped long enough to breathe deeply. "Ok...let's call it quits for today. Papers are still due on Tuesday. Questions? Comments? Concerns? See me after class."
The boys and girls stood and Hamilton stretched his arms over his head allowing his T-shirt to lift. As Melanie walked by she reached out and drew a line down his taut stomach with her finger. "Mmmm...yummy" She smiled as she drew her tongue over her lips for effect. Hamilton pulled his shirt down quickly as if he had been burned.
He ran a few steps to catch up to Jake and Scout. "Man...that girl gives me the creeps. What am I going to do to get rid of her?" Hamilton asked.
"Well,you could give her to me." Scout suggested.
"Nah,not this one. She's...she's...I don't know. She's scary." Hamilton responded.
"Well, it's a great day for crew." Jake said wanting to change the subject from Melanie to just about anything else.
"Spoken like someone who doesn't have to row." Scout smiled.
Scout and Hamilton walked toward the locker room while Jake ran on ahead to her room to change for practice.
The sunset was beautiful on the lake. Jake tried to concentrate on the rower's form...but found herself thinking mostly about floating alone in the row boat with Hamilton the night before. She tried to avoid looking directly at him, although each time she stole a glance...she found him staring back at her. Scout poked Hamilton in the back and motioned with his finger to the left side of the boat. Hamilton followed Scout's direction and saw Melanie seated on the bank. A frustrated sigh escaped from Hamilton's mouth.
As crew ended Hamilton sped back to the locker room with the group hoping to avoid Melanie completely. Under the privacy of the showers, he began to relax. Scout showered in the next stall.
"Hamilton...man...what's up with her anyway? He asked.
"She's nuts" Hamilton answered confidently.
Jake burst into the nearly empty locker room with Will on her heels. Scout grabbed for a towel and quickly wrapped it around him.
"Hey! Are you supposed to be in here?" Scout asked.
"Would you believe they won't let me in the girls locker room." She answered him with a surprised look on her face. "Hey, you don't know how much easier it is for me now that you know my secret. I mean...I used to have to be in here while you guys were strutting around the locker room buck naked...comparing the size of your biceps. I used to have to try to look away." Jake took a step toward Scout and whispered. "But...sometimes I peeked." She giggled.
"You are SO grossing me out" Scout grunted as he pulled his towel tighter around him.
Hamilton chuckled as he exited the shower also wrapped in a towel.
"What's up?" He said.
"Listen to this." She said as she looked at Will.
"Well, actually Bella's the real sleuth here. She and I were looking through some old school pictures and we found a little girl who used to be in class with us." Will said.
"So?" Hamilton said.
"The girls name is Melanie Manos." Will said slowly for emphasis.
"You're kidding." Scout said. "Do you think it's the same girl?"
"Bella thinks it could be...but we have no way of finding out for sure." Will replied.
Will turned and extracted the picture from his backpack. Jake, Hamilton and Scout gathered around him for a better view.
"Oh my God. Is that you?" Jake said as she laughed at the little boy with the chapped lips and the thin awkward stance. He wasn't smiling. He was, however, holding two fingers up behind the head of the boy who stood in front of him.
"Yeah..." Will nodded. "I was a babe magnet don't you think?"
"Check out Miss Banks" Scout drooled. "She was a knockout even then."
Will pointed. " Stay with me on this Scout. Try to focus. This girl...here."
"You think that girl is Melanie?" Hamilton questioned. "No way."
Will replied. "Bella is pretty sure that girls name was Melanie."
"But her hair is a different color." Hamilton said.
"That's an easy fix, hair dye, you can buy it at any drug store." Jake suggested.
"She's wearing glasses." Hamilton said.
"Contact lenses." Jake said.
"She looks pretty...um...well she looks bigger...in that picture." Hamilton attempted to be politically correct although he was thinking...Fat.
"Jenny Craig" Jake said.
"Do you really think it's her?" Hamilton questioned again. "Because I don't"
"Well,there's one way to tell. Maybe we could get a look at her school transcripts. She must have had them forwarded to Rawley Girls in order for her to enroll." Jake said.
"And how are we going to do that?" Scout asked.
"I guess that's where I come in." Jake said. "If I can get into the Dean's office...and into the schools main frame computer...I can probably find what we're looking for."
"Let's do it." Will said. "Get dressed, we'll meet you outside."
Hamilton nervously peered out the window that overlooked the courtyard. "She's out there."
"And you continue to be surprised by that." Scout said smugly.
"She's making me paranoid. She's always around. No matter what I say she won't leave me alone. I just can't turn her off." Hamilton announced.
"I'd love to sympathize with you Fleming...NOT!" Scout smirked toward Will.
"Seriously,what can I do to make her go away." Hamilton said.
"Tell her you're not interested." Will suggested.
"I did...she doesn't seem to hear me." Hamilton replied.
"How about you tell her your not interested...in girls." Scout said jokingly as he closed the door to his locker. The gang fell silent for a thought provoking moment.
"You know...that just might work. You could tell her...or better yet, show her...that you're not interested in girls." Will confirmed.
Hamilton looks at Jake. Jake looks at Will. And they all looked at Scout.
"Whoaa...I'm NOT kissing Flemming!!" Scout protested.
Will shook his head. "An 'A' in physics...and always a 'D' in common sense. Not you Scout...Jake."
Jake looked over at Hamilton. She knew what this could mean to his reputation. Rumors were already circulating about Hamilton's "sexual preferences' and she knew if this got out it would cement the speculation. She was concerned for him. She admired his strength. She wondered if she could put up with all the comments and remarks as easily as he did. It made her happy that their relationship seemed to matter more to him than anything else.
"What do you think?" Jake asked quietly.
"I know it would definitely work for me..." Scout added.
"Do you think it would make a difference?" Hamilton asked ignoring Scout.
"It might." Jake answered shrugging her shoulders
"But Jake, if anyone else sees us...you know what that could do?" Hamilton was obviously concerned about Jake's reputation too. He saw how the upperclassmen teased her about her femininity, unaware that it was very real. She was strong...and he knew that. He thought she was probably stronger than he was. It made him happy to think that what they shared together was more important to her than anything else.
"Yes, it's a chance I'm willing to take Hamilton. If it gets Melanie out of your life." Jake looked into his eyes. "It's up to you."
"Melanie isn't in my life...you are." He moved closer to her.
"Ah...let's stay focused here." Will interrupted the couples loving gaze.
"Well, there's only one way to find out." Hamilton took a deep cleansing breath. "I'll just walk out there...find her...tell her I'm gay...and kiss my girlfriend who will be dressed like my boyfriend. Ah... " He exhaled. "Just perfect...."
Will and Jake left the locker room and allowed Scout the privacy he desired to change. "Do you really think she peaked?" Scout said.
"Let's go Calhoun." Hamilton said as he pushed the door open.
Melanie was waiting, seated on the steps of Rawley Academy. "Well, finding her was easy enough." Jake said as she looked over Will's shoulder and watched Melanie.
A few minutes later Scout and Hamilton came into view. "Here we go." Will said.
Melanie jumped up. "Hi Munchie." She said brightly. "You were great today!"
Hamilton ignored the name. What was the point? He tried to remain calm as he related his well rehearsed speech.
"Melanie, I'm glad you're hear. I've been wanting to talk to you." He said.
"Really? I'm so glad." Melanie truly looked happy and Hamilton thought it made this even more difficult. Scout walked away to join the others at a safe distance...content to be ignored by her again.
"Sit down," Hamilton said as he took a seat on the steps. He cleared his throat. "I think that I might have been giving you the wrong idea." He started. "I'm sure you're a very nice person and that any guy here would be really flattered by all this attention. But, I'm really happy right now Melanie."
"Oh Hamilton. I knew that I could make you happy. I knew you'd eventually see it that way." Melanie blurted out.
"No...no...wait. Let me finish. I'm really happy right now because I have someone in my life." Melanie cut him off.
"I've always dreamed of being in your life. I've always dreamed of you and me and...." This time Hamilton cut her off.
"You're not listening Melanie!" Melanie's smile faded only slightly. "I'm very happy with someone ELSE!!" There was a moment of silence.
"What?" Melanie asked.
"I'm in love with someone else right now. I told you that when you came by my house the other night. Or, at least I tried to." Hamilton said.
"But Hamilton sweetie...it doesn't matter. I'm sure you've had other girls in your life. That's all behind us now. What's important is that you can see the way it was meant to be...for us." Melanie's eyes seemed to darken. Her smile left as she tried to explain.
"Melanie...I'm in love with someone." He inhaled...he knew this was going to be the crucial deciding factor. He exhaled loudly. "I'm in love with someone, who isn't a girl." Melanie looked at him perplexed. "I have a boyfriend. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Hamilton was unable to look her in the eye. He was confused himself now. Four months earlier he remembered rehearsing this very speech in the mirror. The one he was convinced he would have to give to his Dad, before he happily discovered Jake WAS a girl.
Melanie smiled again. Slowly she began to laugh. "Don't be ridiculous Hamilton." She said.
"I'm not being ridiculous. I'm in love with someone. And, that someone is very important to me. And...what I really want to explain to you is I'm very sorry if I did anything to give you the wrong idea but, I'm not interested in you like that."
"Hamilton...I'm the only girl that could ever make you happy." She said.
"No. I'm sorry Melanie. But that's not true." Hamilton stood up. He started to walk away toward Will, Scout and Jake. Melanie lunged forward and grabbed him by the arm spinning him around to face her.
"You can't just walk away from me." She yelled angrily.
Hamilton shook his hand hard releasing himself from her grasp. "Yes, I can." He said. confidently.
"I can't stand this..." Jake said as she watched from just beyond the oak tree.
"Time to move in." Will said.
"Before this gets ugly." Scout added. Will, Scout and Jake approached Melanie and Hamilton.
"Well, here comes the cavalry!" Melanie said with a sneer. "Do they know you're little secret Hamilton? Do they know you're queer?" Melanie's face changed dramatically.
"Yes, they do." He answered.
"And they're comfortable hanging out with a faggot?" She continued to yell. He cringed when he heard her words. Hamilton briefly wondered how far her shrill voice would travel. He was relieved to see no one else around.
"Yes, they are." He responded calmly.
"Hi Melanie" Scout said smiling. He took a small amount of pleasure in seeing her distraught.. "How are you?"
Melanie looked up into Hamilton's eyes. "We are supposed to be together. I've waited my whole life to be good enough for you. I will not let you slip through my fingers." Her glare was frightening.
"Hi boy." Jake said. She deepened her voice as she encircled her arms around Hamilton's waist. "Are you ready to go?" Hamilton took Jake's lead and and put his arm around her shoulder.
"Hi boy." He smiled at her. Hamilton placed his free hand on her chin and drew her mouth to his. He closed his eyes and tried to forget they were on public display. He kissed her softly at first and waited for her to respond. And did she respond!!
Hamilton heard the sound of Will clearing his throat which helped return them both to reality. Hamilton broke the kiss and opened his eyes in time to see Melanie turn and walk away. It was obvious by the loud clicking of her high heels that she was not happy.
"Do you think she bought it?" Jake asked.
"Time will tell." Will answered.
Hamilton looked at his watch. "My Dad should be at home. This might be a good time to take a look at the computer." The four agreed and climbed the steps of the old school building. Jake, Will and Scout followed Hamilton's lead down the long and winding hallways of the deserted administration area. "Everyone should be gone for the weekend by now." He whispered.
"If everybody's gone...why are we whispering?" Scout whispered back. Hamilton looked back at him but didn't answer.
"Do you think....." Scouts voice echoed dramatically in the empty hall.
"Shhhh!!" They all turned toward Scout who lowered his voice again
.
"Do you think I have chance with Melanie now?" He whispered loudly.
"No!" The three whispered back loudly in unison.
"That was harsh." Scout said softly and proceeded to the door of Dean Fleming's office.
"Hang on Ham...I can help you out with this part." Will said as he took his ATM card from his wallet.
"Thanks man...but I'm all set." Hamilton reached into his pocket and withdrew a small set of keys.
"You have a key to your Dad's office?" Scout asked, somewhat surprised.
"Not exactly." Hamilton responded. Dangling from the circular chain was a key to the Fleming's front door, a key to the garage and the tiniest of Swiss Army knives. Hamilton carefully extracted a small silver point with his thumbnail and bent down to begin work on the locked office door. Jake and Scout watched from behind and were suitably impressed.
"Where'd you learn to do this?" Scout asked.
"I sort of had a summer job." Hamilton smiled.
"What, breaking and entering?" Jake suggested.
Hamilton's smile broadened. When I was a kid, I was pretty much stuck here for breaks and vacations and stuff. So, I used to...um...let myself in to the upperclassmen's dorm rooms, check out if they left anything behind. Actually, I used to swipe their Playboy magazines all the time. You'd think they'd eventually stop hiding them under the mattress." Hamilton reveled for a moment in the memories.
"Do you still have 'em?" Scout inquired hopefully.
The door knob clicked. "We're in." Hamilton said. He turned the knob and allowed the office door to fall quietly open. The gang hesitated at first, but Jake walked through and the others followed closing and re-locking the door behind them. Jake rubbed her hands together and headed for the large beige computer terminal that was erected on the main desk. Scout reached over and turned the light on.
"No! Turn it off." Hamilton yelled without raising his voice. My Dad can see his office window from our house."
Scout switched the light off while Jake seated herself and switched on the computer. She delicately fondled the mouse like a pro. "Wow..." She said in awe. "So this is where all of the tuition money goes. This is definitely in the 'butter zone'!" She stated matter-of-factly.
"What?" Scout asked.
"This is state-of-the-art gentlemen. Triple RAM with and active Matrix. A V-6 chip with a PCi bus. It has a killer refresh rate and is probably triple the speed of a Pentium."
"And that's good...right?" Scout said almost afraid to ask.
It took Jake several minutes to get into the computers main program index. Will and Hamilton flanked her and watched in amazement as her fingers danced across the keyboard. Scout browsed around the office and waited patiently.
"There?" Hamilton said as he pointed to the screen.
"No...that has tracking access. It'll be better if I get into the main program first and then find the transcripts through a rear entry.
Hamilton patted her on the head and smiled. "You go girl.'" Hamilton and Will looked at each other content that she knew what she was doing. They continued to observe in awe as Jake clicked away at the keys. Colored screens came and went continuously flashing in front of them.
"Hey guys..." Scout whispered.
"Ok, " Jake said as she looked up at Hamilton. "Have any idea what your Dad's password might be?" Hamilton shook his head negatively. "Does your Dad have any favorite four letter words?" She asked.
"If he doesn't my Dad could lend him a few." Will chuckled when he said it although not all memories of his father made him smile.
"None he could use as a password I suppose." Hamilton responded looking at Will.
"Ok, I CAN override the password barrier but it's going to take a lot longer, that's all." Jake explained.
"Hey guys..." Scout called out again.
"Try F-L-E-M, that was his nick name in college." Hamilton suggested.
"Ewww...that's discusting." Will turned up his nose at the thought.
"Seems to obvious...but..." Jake tapped at the keys. A red screen with the words Access Denied flashed in front of them.
"D-E-A-N?" Will thought.
Access Denied
"It should be simple and fairly easy...but not so obvious." Jake said.
Hamilton glanced around the room for clues. "P-E-N-S?" He asked.
click click click click Access Denied
"Guys!" Scout gave a reasonably loud shout.
click click click click G-U-Y-S "Nope, that's not it." Jake commented.
"Oh...hey...I have an idea." She tapped at the keys. K-A-T-E. The computer screen changed from red to green before there very eyes.
"Good job, how'd you think of that?" Hamilton asked.
"I just thought, what would your Dad like to think of first thing in the morning and last thing at night." Jake and Hamilton exchanged smiles.
"Hey Scout, we're in." Will called back to Scout who was standing in front of a large bank of filing cabinets.
"And so am I." Scout said.
Jake and Hamilton turned to see Scout approaching them carrying a legal sized manilla folder in his hand.
"What's that?" Hamilton asked.
"Manos, Melanie Manos." Scout dropped the folder on the desk in front of them. The three exchanged glances as each of their mouths dropped open slightly. "Wow...the wonders of the digital age." Scout said smugly.
They spread open the file on top of the Dean's desk. Jake remained seated as the boys hovered behind her breathing down her neck. She slowly turned the pages. The first page contained Melanie's school photo ID, her current demographics, the names and business addresses of her parents, including their cell phone numbers, pager numbers and fax numbers. Page two contained a medical release form allowing the school the authority to seek treatment on her parents behalf if she ever needed it.
The third page was an extended scholastic history which included grades and awards she had received. "She won a prize for photography in 1997." Jake mentioned in passing.
"Man, look at all the schools she's been to." Will said as he scanned the list. "Her parents really move around a lot."
"Here...look..." Jake pointed. "October 1991 through May 1992, Hillside Elementary School, New Rawley. That's it, right?"
"She's the same girl." Will said. "I still wonder why she never said any thing to any of us...about living in New Rawley before.
"Maybe she was embarrassed." Scout said.
"This is interesting..." Jake said as she looked at the back of the page. "It doesn't look as though Melanie was in school last year...at all. There is no transcript listing for the 1998-99 school year."
Footsteps stopped outside the Deans office and a shadowy figure appeared in the frosted glass window. The sound of keys jingling just outside the door made then freeze first and then scatter. Hamilton grabbed Jake by the hand and headed for the coat closet. Scout ducked into the empty space between the wall and the filing cabinet. Will grabbed the folder and flew under the desk, tucking his legs up in front of him in the confined space. They were all well hidden and just in time.
The door opened and Dean Fleming entered his office. He glanced around the apparently empty room. He thought he had left the desk lamp on in his office, but perhaps he was mistaken. He turned and readied himself to leave when the soft glow from the computer monitor caught his eye. Dean Fleming walked to his desk and looked at the screen. He rubbed his chin. He watched as the program file blinked on and off in a random search mode. Will held his breath as the Dean's shoes closed in on the small cramped space beneath the desk. Will recalled hiding under his bed when his parents used to fight. He was small and scared then. He was older and scared now.
Jake and Hamilton stood face to face in the narrow coat closet. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, Hamilton smiled at her. Jake put her fingers to her lips and made a soundless "shhh." Hamilton took her finger and placed it on his own lips and kissed it gently prompting Jake to smile back at him. Hamilton slipped his hands around her waist and pulled her closer to him. At first Jake's eyes widened in disbelief and slowly, they melted into his. He leaned forward and silently kissed her.
The search engine beeped once to indicate it had finished. Scout watched the shadows change on the wall. He was afraid to poke his head out from behind the cabinets for fear of being seen. Scout closed his eyes. He couldn't believe that no one had thought to shut the computer off. Scout though of how he was going to explain this to his father. He wondered how having a son arrested for trespassing, would effect his Dad's campaign.
Dean Fleming glanced at the screen. "Mmmm" He mumble aloud to himself. He carefully took in the information that was shown to him He bent down and clicked at the keyboard. He waited a minute for it to shut down and then he switched it off. He backed away from the desk. Will slowly breathed a sigh of relief. He walked toward the office door. Opened it, exited through it, and locked it behind him. The shadow on the frosted glass hesitated and then left. Will and Scout listened until the footsteps were no longer audible.
Scout came out first. He looked around. "Will?" He whispered.
Will untucked his legs and rolled out onto the floor. "Jesus, that was close!" He continued to breathe deeply. Scout took the folder from Will's hand and put it back alphabetically in the cabinet he found it in. The two looked at each other and smiled uneasily. They headed for the office door.
Will knocked twice on the closet door. "Time to come out of the closet you two."
"In the meantime, Will and I are getting the hell out of here." Scout added and the two were out the door.
Hamilton looked at Jake. He smiled both with relief and with the brief opportunity they had to be together. "Think he's gone?" She asked.
"Yeah.." Hamilton nodded. Jake breathed in and out deeply.
"Let's get out of here." She said.
"The next time I have to hide in a closet...I hope it's with you." He said smiling.
"Me too. Are we still on for tonight?" She asked.
"Absolutely." He answered.
"Well, I need to go back to my dorm, maybe shower and change." Jake said still whispering.
"You smell fine to me." Hamilton sniffed at her neck and kissed her lightly.
"Well, you got to take a shower after crew...I didn't." She said backing him up slightly.
"Ok...ok. I'll meet you down at the dock in...fifteen minutes." He said looking at his watch.
"I may look like a guy...but I shower like a girl. I'll see you at the dock in an hour." She kissed his nose and opened the closet door. Jake turned left in the hallway and proceeded toward the dormitory area. Hamilton turned to the right, down the stairwell and out the door.
He walked the wooded path that lead to home.
"She's upstairs Will...in her room. You remember the way?" Charlie said looking completely comfortable with the idea of Bella having a sixteen year old boy in her bedroom. After all, it was only Will and he and Bella had been best friends since they were little. Will climbed the familiar stairs that led to Bella's room. He knocked on the door and then turned the knob and walked in.
"Hi." He said.
"Hi...did you find them?" She asked.
"Yeah...I had to search around in my mother's attic for a while...but I finally found them. Are these what you're looking for?" Will held up a a few 8x10 pictures that were housed in dusty cardboard frames.
"Yesh...you found them. Great." She took the pictures from Will and he seated himself beside her on the bed. Bella and Will looked at the first picture. It was their third grade class. She was seated in the front row with two long blonde braids framing her face. Her smile alone brightened the picture. Will stood in the back row as he always did being one of the taller boys in school. He wore a white overly starched collared shirt and a tie with the knot pulled two inches below his top button. Bella laughed when she pointed to him. Will just smiled. Bella scanned the rest of the faces and put the picture down. She picked up their first grade class picture and looked at it carefully. She wore a pink gingham dress and white knee socks. Her golden hair fell down around her shoulders. "I look like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz in that dress." She smiled.
"I'll get you my pretty...and your little dog too." Will mimicked in the best wicked witch voice he could manage.
They both chuckled. Will looked at the Kindergarten picture. "I was such a stud back then." He grinned.
He turned the picture to where Bella could see it too. Will stood in the back row. He wore a plaid short-sleeved dress shirt and a bow tie that didn't match. His hair was short...and even shorter in the front where he remembered cutting a large chunk of his bangs when he stumbled across his mothers haircutting shears. "Man was she mad at me." Will smiled thinking about his mother. "She said it looked bad for business to have the local hairdressers son be the only one with a bald spot." Will and Bella laughed.
"Look at me? Look at those pigtails. In this one I look like Cindy Brady with my front teeth missing." Bella said.
"I liked Cindy. Ok...that's a lie. I liked Marcia. But, I could have learned to like Cindy" Will responded. Bella punched him in the arm.
"So...what exactly is the purpose of this stroll down memory lane." Will asked. Bella looked carefully again at the pictures. She picked up the last picture Will had brought. She stared at each face in Miss Murphy's fourth grade class.
"Will, look at her." Bella said as she pointed to the object of her search. Sitting in the front row of the class photo was a heavy set young girl with small dark eyes.
"Yeah...who is she? I don't remember her at all." Will said.
"She was only here for like one year and then her family moved away. She lived in that big brown house on the corner, the one with the fence, near the school. " Bella continued.
"Ok Bella...so...who is she?" Will asked again.
"That girl's name...is Melanie Manos." Bella stared at Will.
"What? Are you sure? Do you think that's the same Melanie?" Will asked.
"I don't know for sure. But I am sure that girl's name was Melanie Manos. "Bella said again as she pointed to the picture.
"I don't remember her." Will stared at the eyes of the young girl in the picture. She seemed to stare back at him from behind thick dark rimmed eyeglasses. Her smile was cock-eyed as she tried to keep her mouth closed in an attempt to conceal the silver braces hidden inside. Her hair was long and dark and combed partially over her face. It's texture looked to be coarse and wiry and gave her a slight resemblance to a "Lizzie-Hi" doll. The front of her white blouse contained a small but noticeable stain from whatever that days lunch offering had been. Her pudgy cheeks were flushed a deep red. She was extremely heavy for a girl of her age. All the girls in the front row, including Bella, had their ankles delicately crossed over to the right as the photographer had probably instructed them. Melanie looked as though she had tried too, but was unsuccessful. Instead the knee socks she wore appeared to be cutting off the circulation to her dimpled knees.
"I would never have recognized her from this picture. You're really good Nancy Drew." Will said grinning. "If it is her...the same Melanie from fourth grade, why didn't she tell us she used to live here?" Will asked.
"That's just it." Bella answered. "I don't know."
******************************
Jake and Hamilton stopped by the dining hall and picked up a sandwich and a few snacks to take to the lake. They had settled into one of the row boats that had been tethered to the dock. They shared the sandwich, and as was usual, Hamilton got the bigger half. The little boat rocked gently on the water as the sun set behind them. They both enjoyed the peace, the quiet and each others company.
Jake reached over to the paper bag that was acting as a table cloth. She picked up the glass Snapple bottle and turned it upside down and watched as the drop slowly fell onto the bottom of the boat. "Did you drink it all? Jake asked.
"Did you want some?" Hamilton asked looking guilty.
Jake rolled her eyes. "Would it matter now if I did?" She retorted.
"Sorry." He smiled at her.
Jake stretched out her legs and crossed her ankles. She glanced up at the sky. "This is nice." Jake said.
"Yeah...it is." Hamilton answered. "Know what would be nicer?" He asked. Jake looked up at him for the answer. "If you were sitting over here with me." He pointed to the empty space next to him.
Jake smiled at him. "I wish."
"Come here." He pointed with his crooked index finger.
Jake looked around at the deserted docks. The grassy hillside that fronted Rawley Academy was empty. The evening's darkness blanketed the couple...tempting Jake. "I don't know..."
"Come on..." Hamilton looked around himself. "No one's around...come on."
Jake hesitated for a moment...then...taking a deep breath...scooted over to where Hamilton was seated. "This won't look good for you if we get caught out here." She said.
"It won't look good for you either, Mr. Pratt." He answered. Hamilton smiled and put his arm around her.
"You are feeling brave tonight." Jake said.
"Just happy." He responded. Jake backed up a little and relaxed herself into him.
"Hey...I think someone's coming!!" Hamilton said with alarm. Jake ducked forward but the sides of the boat wouldn't cover her. Hamilton lurched forward and sprawled himself on the floor of the boat. "Down here!" He whispered loudly. Jake dropped down to her knees and fell gently on top of Hamilton. He rolled up to his side to giver her more room.
"Who do you think it was?" Jake asked.
"I don't know." He answered.
"Male or female?" She asked.
"I don't know." He answered.
"Were they coming down toward the docks?" She asked.
"I don't know." He answered again. Jake looked at him as he grinned. Hamilton reached out and pulled her into him. As her head rested on his bent elbow...he reached over and kissed her. She responded to his mouth and the warmth of the evening air seemed to intensify. Jake broke the kiss. She smiled back at him.
"You didn't see anybody...did you? She asked.
Hamilton's eyebrows rose and fell. "I don't know. " He said.
"Hamilton..." Before she could say another word his mouth had found hers again. It had been days since they had been alone together without interruption. And Jake reveled in how good it felt to be with Hamilton. She loved the feel of his arms around her.
Hamilton and Jake clung to each other. He covered her face with kisses and settled his mouth on the soft spot of her neck. She tangled her legs with his and rubbed his back with the hands she had tightly wrapped around him.
A twig snapped in the distance. The sound obscured by the frenzied breathing at the waters edge. Melanie stood back from the dock not wanting to be seen. She watched Hamilton intensely. She imagined herself taking the place of the young girl lying beneath him. She promised herself that soon...Hamilton would love her. He would come to appreciated how hard she'd worked for him. He'd know how special she'd become. He'd recognize how beautiful she was. And,he would be hers. Melanie left the pair and walked the familiar path to Rawley Girls.
Hamilton held his position on top of Jake. They enjoyed another mind numbing kiss until Jake felt as though she needed air. "Hamilton...air"
"Nope...no air until you tell me you love me." He kissed her again.
"Ok...I love you" She said smiling.
Hamilton lifted his body and hung over Jake for a few seconds. He rolled to his side and pulled her into him again. "I don't want leave this place." He whined.
"Ever?" She said, opening her eyes widely.
"I mean tonight," He said.
"I know what you meant. Me either." Jake replied.
"But...it is getting late. This was nice. Let's do it again...soon." She smiled kissing him.
"Tomorrow?" He said with a hopeful look.
"Maybe..." She teased.
"Tomorrow." He said sternly and leaned in for another kiss. "Come on I'll walk you back."
"Ok people...I know it's Friday afternoon and you're all looking forward to a little R&R this weekend. So, let's just finish up our discussion of Othello." A collective groan fell over the students. "Oh...come on. Work with me here." Finn said. "What is remarkable in this play is the tension between conflicting forces. Between the honest Othello and the evil Iago; between the 'angel' Desdemona and, the 'devil' Othello. Between illusion and truth; jealousy and trust; appearances and proof; good and evil, black and white..."
Melanie had seated herself to Hamilton's left. Today her leather cropped pants made it more convenient to sit on the ground...but the high heel shoes continued to be a problem for her. "He is so boring..." She whispered.
Hamilton did not respond. He continued to watch Finn speak although he wasn't really paying that much attention. He took the chance to daydream about meeting Jake later at the dock.
"Well?" Melanie said as she knocked Hamilton's arm to get his attention.
"What?" Hamilton looked at her.
"Tonight is good for me." She said
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Hamilton got up and moved past Scout who was seated to his immediate right. Hamilton wanted to be closer to Jake and as far away from Melanie as possible. Scout seized the moment and was just about to scoot over closer to Melanie when Ryder came out of nowhere and jockeyed for position.
"Ryder!" Scout said.
"Sorry mate." Ryder responded. He turned toward Melanie. "So, luv. What do you say you and I take a lovely moonlight drive this evening?"
"And what part of 'Get Out Of My Sight' are you not understanding?"
Finn continued. "Like King Lear, like Oedipus, Othello is blind to the truth and only realizes it too late." Finn focused on one yawning student. Finn stopped long enough to breathe deeply. "Ok...let's call it quits for today. Papers are still due on Tuesday. Questions? Comments? Concerns? See me after class."
The boys and girls stood and Hamilton stretched his arms over his head allowing his T-shirt to lift. As Melanie walked by she reached out and drew a line down his taut stomach with her finger. "Mmmm...yummy" She smiled as she drew her tongue over her lips for effect. Hamilton pulled his shirt down quickly as if he had been burned.
He ran a few steps to catch up to Jake and Scout. "Man...that girl gives me the creeps. What am I going to do to get rid of her?" Hamilton asked.
"Well,you could give her to me." Scout suggested.
"Nah,not this one. She's...she's...I don't know. She's scary." Hamilton responded.
"Well, it's a great day for crew." Jake said wanting to change the subject from Melanie to just about anything else.
"Spoken like someone who doesn't have to row." Scout smiled.
Scout and Hamilton walked toward the locker room while Jake ran on ahead to her room to change for practice.
The sunset was beautiful on the lake. Jake tried to concentrate on the rower's form...but found herself thinking mostly about floating alone in the row boat with Hamilton the night before. She tried to avoid looking directly at him, although each time she stole a glance...she found him staring back at her. Scout poked Hamilton in the back and motioned with his finger to the left side of the boat. Hamilton followed Scout's direction and saw Melanie seated on the bank. A frustrated sigh escaped from Hamilton's mouth.
As crew ended Hamilton sped back to the locker room with the group hoping to avoid Melanie completely. Under the privacy of the showers, he began to relax. Scout showered in the next stall.
"Hamilton...man...what's up with her anyway? He asked.
"She's nuts" Hamilton answered confidently.
Jake burst into the nearly empty locker room with Will on her heels. Scout grabbed for a towel and quickly wrapped it around him.
"Hey! Are you supposed to be in here?" Scout asked.
"Would you believe they won't let me in the girls locker room." She answered him with a surprised look on her face. "Hey, you don't know how much easier it is for me now that you know my secret. I mean...I used to have to be in here while you guys were strutting around the locker room buck naked...comparing the size of your biceps. I used to have to try to look away." Jake took a step toward Scout and whispered. "But...sometimes I peeked." She giggled.
"You are SO grossing me out" Scout grunted as he pulled his towel tighter around him.
Hamilton chuckled as he exited the shower also wrapped in a towel.
"What's up?" He said.
"Listen to this." She said as she looked at Will.
"Well, actually Bella's the real sleuth here. She and I were looking through some old school pictures and we found a little girl who used to be in class with us." Will said.
"So?" Hamilton said.
"The girls name is Melanie Manos." Will said slowly for emphasis.
"You're kidding." Scout said. "Do you think it's the same girl?"
"Bella thinks it could be...but we have no way of finding out for sure." Will replied.
Will turned and extracted the picture from his backpack. Jake, Hamilton and Scout gathered around him for a better view.
"Oh my God. Is that you?" Jake said as she laughed at the little boy with the chapped lips and the thin awkward stance. He wasn't smiling. He was, however, holding two fingers up behind the head of the boy who stood in front of him.
"Yeah..." Will nodded. "I was a babe magnet don't you think?"
"Check out Miss Banks" Scout drooled. "She was a knockout even then."
Will pointed. " Stay with me on this Scout. Try to focus. This girl...here."
"You think that girl is Melanie?" Hamilton questioned. "No way."
Will replied. "Bella is pretty sure that girls name was Melanie."
"But her hair is a different color." Hamilton said.
"That's an easy fix, hair dye, you can buy it at any drug store." Jake suggested.
"She's wearing glasses." Hamilton said.
"Contact lenses." Jake said.
"She looks pretty...um...well she looks bigger...in that picture." Hamilton attempted to be politically correct although he was thinking...Fat.
"Jenny Craig" Jake said.
"Do you really think it's her?" Hamilton questioned again. "Because I don't"
"Well,there's one way to tell. Maybe we could get a look at her school transcripts. She must have had them forwarded to Rawley Girls in order for her to enroll." Jake said.
"And how are we going to do that?" Scout asked.
"I guess that's where I come in." Jake said. "If I can get into the Dean's office...and into the schools main frame computer...I can probably find what we're looking for."
"Let's do it." Will said. "Get dressed, we'll meet you outside."
Hamilton nervously peered out the window that overlooked the courtyard. "She's out there."
"And you continue to be surprised by that." Scout said smugly.
"She's making me paranoid. She's always around. No matter what I say she won't leave me alone. I just can't turn her off." Hamilton announced.
"I'd love to sympathize with you Fleming...NOT!" Scout smirked toward Will.
"Seriously,what can I do to make her go away." Hamilton said.
"Tell her you're not interested." Will suggested.
"I did...she doesn't seem to hear me." Hamilton replied.
"How about you tell her your not interested...in girls." Scout said jokingly as he closed the door to his locker. The gang fell silent for a thought provoking moment.
"You know...that just might work. You could tell her...or better yet, show her...that you're not interested in girls." Will confirmed.
Hamilton looks at Jake. Jake looks at Will. And they all looked at Scout.
"Whoaa...I'm NOT kissing Flemming!!" Scout protested.
Will shook his head. "An 'A' in physics...and always a 'D' in common sense. Not you Scout...Jake."
Jake looked over at Hamilton. She knew what this could mean to his reputation. Rumors were already circulating about Hamilton's "sexual preferences' and she knew if this got out it would cement the speculation. She was concerned for him. She admired his strength. She wondered if she could put up with all the comments and remarks as easily as he did. It made her happy that their relationship seemed to matter more to him than anything else.
"What do you think?" Jake asked quietly.
"I know it would definitely work for me..." Scout added.
"Do you think it would make a difference?" Hamilton asked ignoring Scout.
"It might." Jake answered shrugging her shoulders
"But Jake, if anyone else sees us...you know what that could do?" Hamilton was obviously concerned about Jake's reputation too. He saw how the upperclassmen teased her about her femininity, unaware that it was very real. She was strong...and he knew that. He thought she was probably stronger than he was. It made him happy to think that what they shared together was more important to her than anything else.
"Yes, it's a chance I'm willing to take Hamilton. If it gets Melanie out of your life." Jake looked into his eyes. "It's up to you."
"Melanie isn't in my life...you are." He moved closer to her.
"Ah...let's stay focused here." Will interrupted the couples loving gaze.
"Well, there's only one way to find out." Hamilton took a deep cleansing breath. "I'll just walk out there...find her...tell her I'm gay...and kiss my girlfriend who will be dressed like my boyfriend. Ah... " He exhaled. "Just perfect...."
Will and Jake left the locker room and allowed Scout the privacy he desired to change. "Do you really think she peaked?" Scout said.
"Let's go Calhoun." Hamilton said as he pushed the door open.
Melanie was waiting, seated on the steps of Rawley Academy. "Well, finding her was easy enough." Jake said as she looked over Will's shoulder and watched Melanie.
A few minutes later Scout and Hamilton came into view. "Here we go." Will said.
Melanie jumped up. "Hi Munchie." She said brightly. "You were great today!"
Hamilton ignored the name. What was the point? He tried to remain calm as he related his well rehearsed speech.
"Melanie, I'm glad you're hear. I've been wanting to talk to you." He said.
"Really? I'm so glad." Melanie truly looked happy and Hamilton thought it made this even more difficult. Scout walked away to join the others at a safe distance...content to be ignored by her again.
"Sit down," Hamilton said as he took a seat on the steps. He cleared his throat. "I think that I might have been giving you the wrong idea." He started. "I'm sure you're a very nice person and that any guy here would be really flattered by all this attention. But, I'm really happy right now Melanie."
"Oh Hamilton. I knew that I could make you happy. I knew you'd eventually see it that way." Melanie blurted out.
"No...no...wait. Let me finish. I'm really happy right now because I have someone in my life." Melanie cut him off.
"I've always dreamed of being in your life. I've always dreamed of you and me and...." This time Hamilton cut her off.
"You're not listening Melanie!" Melanie's smile faded only slightly. "I'm very happy with someone ELSE!!" There was a moment of silence.
"What?" Melanie asked.
"I'm in love with someone else right now. I told you that when you came by my house the other night. Or, at least I tried to." Hamilton said.
"But Hamilton sweetie...it doesn't matter. I'm sure you've had other girls in your life. That's all behind us now. What's important is that you can see the way it was meant to be...for us." Melanie's eyes seemed to darken. Her smile left as she tried to explain.
"Melanie...I'm in love with someone." He inhaled...he knew this was going to be the crucial deciding factor. He exhaled loudly. "I'm in love with someone, who isn't a girl." Melanie looked at him perplexed. "I have a boyfriend. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Hamilton was unable to look her in the eye. He was confused himself now. Four months earlier he remembered rehearsing this very speech in the mirror. The one he was convinced he would have to give to his Dad, before he happily discovered Jake WAS a girl.
Melanie smiled again. Slowly she began to laugh. "Don't be ridiculous Hamilton." She said.
"I'm not being ridiculous. I'm in love with someone. And, that someone is very important to me. And...what I really want to explain to you is I'm very sorry if I did anything to give you the wrong idea but, I'm not interested in you like that."
"Hamilton...I'm the only girl that could ever make you happy." She said.
"No. I'm sorry Melanie. But that's not true." Hamilton stood up. He started to walk away toward Will, Scout and Jake. Melanie lunged forward and grabbed him by the arm spinning him around to face her.
"You can't just walk away from me." She yelled angrily.
Hamilton shook his hand hard releasing himself from her grasp. "Yes, I can." He said. confidently.
"I can't stand this..." Jake said as she watched from just beyond the oak tree.
"Time to move in." Will said.
"Before this gets ugly." Scout added. Will, Scout and Jake approached Melanie and Hamilton.
"Well, here comes the cavalry!" Melanie said with a sneer. "Do they know you're little secret Hamilton? Do they know you're queer?" Melanie's face changed dramatically.
"Yes, they do." He answered.
"And they're comfortable hanging out with a faggot?" She continued to yell. He cringed when he heard her words. Hamilton briefly wondered how far her shrill voice would travel. He was relieved to see no one else around.
"Yes, they are." He responded calmly.
"Hi Melanie" Scout said smiling. He took a small amount of pleasure in seeing her distraught.. "How are you?"
Melanie looked up into Hamilton's eyes. "We are supposed to be together. I've waited my whole life to be good enough for you. I will not let you slip through my fingers." Her glare was frightening.
"Hi boy." Jake said. She deepened her voice as she encircled her arms around Hamilton's waist. "Are you ready to go?" Hamilton took Jake's lead and and put his arm around her shoulder.
"Hi boy." He smiled at her. Hamilton placed his free hand on her chin and drew her mouth to his. He closed his eyes and tried to forget they were on public display. He kissed her softly at first and waited for her to respond. And did she respond!!
Hamilton heard the sound of Will clearing his throat which helped return them both to reality. Hamilton broke the kiss and opened his eyes in time to see Melanie turn and walk away. It was obvious by the loud clicking of her high heels that she was not happy.
"Do you think she bought it?" Jake asked.
"Time will tell." Will answered.
Hamilton looked at his watch. "My Dad should be at home. This might be a good time to take a look at the computer." The four agreed and climbed the steps of the old school building. Jake, Will and Scout followed Hamilton's lead down the long and winding hallways of the deserted administration area. "Everyone should be gone for the weekend by now." He whispered.
"If everybody's gone...why are we whispering?" Scout whispered back. Hamilton looked back at him but didn't answer.
"Do you think....." Scouts voice echoed dramatically in the empty hall.
"Shhhh!!" They all turned toward Scout who lowered his voice again
.
"Do you think I have chance with Melanie now?" He whispered loudly.
"No!" The three whispered back loudly in unison.
"That was harsh." Scout said softly and proceeded to the door of Dean Fleming's office.
"Hang on Ham...I can help you out with this part." Will said as he took his ATM card from his wallet.
"Thanks man...but I'm all set." Hamilton reached into his pocket and withdrew a small set of keys.
"You have a key to your Dad's office?" Scout asked, somewhat surprised.
"Not exactly." Hamilton responded. Dangling from the circular chain was a key to the Fleming's front door, a key to the garage and the tiniest of Swiss Army knives. Hamilton carefully extracted a small silver point with his thumbnail and bent down to begin work on the locked office door. Jake and Scout watched from behind and were suitably impressed.
"Where'd you learn to do this?" Scout asked.
"I sort of had a summer job." Hamilton smiled.
"What, breaking and entering?" Jake suggested.
Hamilton's smile broadened. When I was a kid, I was pretty much stuck here for breaks and vacations and stuff. So, I used to...um...let myself in to the upperclassmen's dorm rooms, check out if they left anything behind. Actually, I used to swipe their Playboy magazines all the time. You'd think they'd eventually stop hiding them under the mattress." Hamilton reveled for a moment in the memories.
"Do you still have 'em?" Scout inquired hopefully.
The door knob clicked. "We're in." Hamilton said. He turned the knob and allowed the office door to fall quietly open. The gang hesitated at first, but Jake walked through and the others followed closing and re-locking the door behind them. Jake rubbed her hands together and headed for the large beige computer terminal that was erected on the main desk. Scout reached over and turned the light on.
"No! Turn it off." Hamilton yelled without raising his voice. My Dad can see his office window from our house."
Scout switched the light off while Jake seated herself and switched on the computer. She delicately fondled the mouse like a pro. "Wow..." She said in awe. "So this is where all of the tuition money goes. This is definitely in the 'butter zone'!" She stated matter-of-factly.
"What?" Scout asked.
"This is state-of-the-art gentlemen. Triple RAM with and active Matrix. A V-6 chip with a PCi bus. It has a killer refresh rate and is probably triple the speed of a Pentium."
"And that's good...right?" Scout said almost afraid to ask.
It took Jake several minutes to get into the computers main program index. Will and Hamilton flanked her and watched in amazement as her fingers danced across the keyboard. Scout browsed around the office and waited patiently.
"There?" Hamilton said as he pointed to the screen.
"No...that has tracking access. It'll be better if I get into the main program first and then find the transcripts through a rear entry.
Hamilton patted her on the head and smiled. "You go girl.'" Hamilton and Will looked at each other content that she knew what she was doing. They continued to observe in awe as Jake clicked away at the keys. Colored screens came and went continuously flashing in front of them.
"Hey guys..." Scout whispered.
"Ok, " Jake said as she looked up at Hamilton. "Have any idea what your Dad's password might be?" Hamilton shook his head negatively. "Does your Dad have any favorite four letter words?" She asked.
"If he doesn't my Dad could lend him a few." Will chuckled when he said it although not all memories of his father made him smile.
"None he could use as a password I suppose." Hamilton responded looking at Will.
"Ok, I CAN override the password barrier but it's going to take a lot longer, that's all." Jake explained.
"Hey guys..." Scout called out again.
"Try F-L-E-M, that was his nick name in college." Hamilton suggested.
"Ewww...that's discusting." Will turned up his nose at the thought.
"Seems to obvious...but..." Jake tapped at the keys. A red screen with the words Access Denied flashed in front of them.
"D-E-A-N?" Will thought.
Access Denied
"It should be simple and fairly easy...but not so obvious." Jake said.
Hamilton glanced around the room for clues. "P-E-N-S?" He asked.
click click click click Access Denied
"Guys!" Scout gave a reasonably loud shout.
click click click click G-U-Y-S "Nope, that's not it." Jake commented.
"Oh...hey...I have an idea." She tapped at the keys. K-A-T-E. The computer screen changed from red to green before there very eyes.
"Good job, how'd you think of that?" Hamilton asked.
"I just thought, what would your Dad like to think of first thing in the morning and last thing at night." Jake and Hamilton exchanged smiles.
"Hey Scout, we're in." Will called back to Scout who was standing in front of a large bank of filing cabinets.
"And so am I." Scout said.
Jake and Hamilton turned to see Scout approaching them carrying a legal sized manilla folder in his hand.
"What's that?" Hamilton asked.
"Manos, Melanie Manos." Scout dropped the folder on the desk in front of them. The three exchanged glances as each of their mouths dropped open slightly. "Wow...the wonders of the digital age." Scout said smugly.
They spread open the file on top of the Dean's desk. Jake remained seated as the boys hovered behind her breathing down her neck. She slowly turned the pages. The first page contained Melanie's school photo ID, her current demographics, the names and business addresses of her parents, including their cell phone numbers, pager numbers and fax numbers. Page two contained a medical release form allowing the school the authority to seek treatment on her parents behalf if she ever needed it.
The third page was an extended scholastic history which included grades and awards she had received. "She won a prize for photography in 1997." Jake mentioned in passing.
"Man, look at all the schools she's been to." Will said as he scanned the list. "Her parents really move around a lot."
"Here...look..." Jake pointed. "October 1991 through May 1992, Hillside Elementary School, New Rawley. That's it, right?"
"She's the same girl." Will said. "I still wonder why she never said any thing to any of us...about living in New Rawley before.
"Maybe she was embarrassed." Scout said.
"This is interesting..." Jake said as she looked at the back of the page. "It doesn't look as though Melanie was in school last year...at all. There is no transcript listing for the 1998-99 school year."
Footsteps stopped outside the Deans office and a shadowy figure appeared in the frosted glass window. The sound of keys jingling just outside the door made then freeze first and then scatter. Hamilton grabbed Jake by the hand and headed for the coat closet. Scout ducked into the empty space between the wall and the filing cabinet. Will grabbed the folder and flew under the desk, tucking his legs up in front of him in the confined space. They were all well hidden and just in time.
The door opened and Dean Fleming entered his office. He glanced around the apparently empty room. He thought he had left the desk lamp on in his office, but perhaps he was mistaken. He turned and readied himself to leave when the soft glow from the computer monitor caught his eye. Dean Fleming walked to his desk and looked at the screen. He rubbed his chin. He watched as the program file blinked on and off in a random search mode. Will held his breath as the Dean's shoes closed in on the small cramped space beneath the desk. Will recalled hiding under his bed when his parents used to fight. He was small and scared then. He was older and scared now.
Jake and Hamilton stood face to face in the narrow coat closet. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, Hamilton smiled at her. Jake put her fingers to her lips and made a soundless "shhh." Hamilton took her finger and placed it on his own lips and kissed it gently prompting Jake to smile back at him. Hamilton slipped his hands around her waist and pulled her closer to him. At first Jake's eyes widened in disbelief and slowly, they melted into his. He leaned forward and silently kissed her.
The search engine beeped once to indicate it had finished. Scout watched the shadows change on the wall. He was afraid to poke his head out from behind the cabinets for fear of being seen. Scout closed his eyes. He couldn't believe that no one had thought to shut the computer off. Scout though of how he was going to explain this to his father. He wondered how having a son arrested for trespassing, would effect his Dad's campaign.
Dean Fleming glanced at the screen. "Mmmm" He mumble aloud to himself. He carefully took in the information that was shown to him He bent down and clicked at the keyboard. He waited a minute for it to shut down and then he switched it off. He backed away from the desk. Will slowly breathed a sigh of relief. He walked toward the office door. Opened it, exited through it, and locked it behind him. The shadow on the frosted glass hesitated and then left. Will and Scout listened until the footsteps were no longer audible.
Scout came out first. He looked around. "Will?" He whispered.
Will untucked his legs and rolled out onto the floor. "Jesus, that was close!" He continued to breathe deeply. Scout took the folder from Will's hand and put it back alphabetically in the cabinet he found it in. The two looked at each other and smiled uneasily. They headed for the office door.
Will knocked twice on the closet door. "Time to come out of the closet you two."
"In the meantime, Will and I are getting the hell out of here." Scout added and the two were out the door.
Hamilton looked at Jake. He smiled both with relief and with the brief opportunity they had to be together. "Think he's gone?" She asked.
"Yeah.." Hamilton nodded. Jake breathed in and out deeply.
"Let's get out of here." She said.
"The next time I have to hide in a closet...I hope it's with you." He said smiling.
"Me too. Are we still on for tonight?" She asked.
"Absolutely." He answered.
"Well, I need to go back to my dorm, maybe shower and change." Jake said still whispering.
"You smell fine to me." Hamilton sniffed at her neck and kissed her lightly.
"Well, you got to take a shower after crew...I didn't." She said backing him up slightly.
"Ok...ok. I'll meet you down at the dock in...fifteen minutes." He said looking at his watch.
"I may look like a guy...but I shower like a girl. I'll see you at the dock in an hour." She kissed his nose and opened the closet door. Jake turned left in the hallway and proceeded toward the dormitory area. Hamilton turned to the right, down the stairwell and out the door.
He walked the wooded path that lead to home.