Chapter 2
"Shut up Petey!" Gary and Julius chorused, laughing as Petey grinned widely.
"Hey, Alan come over here!" Gary yelled from the table where he was sitting.
It was lunchtime in the cafeteria and it was very loud. Alan finally spotted them and walked over, setting down his lunch tray.
"Hey, where's Melody?" Gary asked when Alan had sat down at the crowded table.
"Sunshine has her." He answered.
"Sunshine's got another girl?" Blue asked, not processing it all.
"No she's a family friend of mine, Melody. She just moved here," Gary explained, still waving at them to come over.
"Who did?" Rev asked as he and Louie sat down with them.
"Melody. She's gonna sit with us, all right?" Gary said again. The team nodded, watching the door for Sunshine.
"So, how did you and Melody make out today?" Gary asked in a low voice to Alan.
"You met her today and you already made out with her?" Petey asked in his loud, somewhat annoying voice. "
No!" Alan said, appalled at the idea.
"Look at them innocent boy eyes." Julius laughed, "That boy wouldn't make out with a girl until they was married."
The table laughed, even Alan, as a little color mounted onto his cheeks.
"Sunshine!' Petey called, as the tall blonde boy entered the room, Melody in tow. Both were carrying trays. Blue watched and then shook his head in disbelief and when Ronnie sat down he said,
"As you pass by, all the girls look up and sigh." Ronnie grinned sheepishly, as if to say, What can I do? Gary turned to Melody,
"Hey, how are you doing?"
Melody smiled, "Great."
Petey took the tray from her, like a gentleman would. "You can come sit by me."
Sunshine reached over and grabbed Melody's tray back, he looked down at Melody, "Don't listen to him, he's got a new girl every other week."
Melody laughed, "I could've guessed."
Petey grinned as the rest of the guys laughed and patted him on the back. Gary was deep in conversation with Julius so Ronnie took the liberty of 'talking care' of Melody.
"Why don't you go sit over there by Alan," Ronnie said. Melody put her tray next to his and started to eat her lunch. "
Yeah, you won't get no sass from Alan!" Blue commented, "He don't know how to sass a girl."
Alan grinned good-naturedly and looked up from his plate. He noticed that Gary wasn't watching his tray. Alan reached his arm over the table and slowly put it on Gary's tray. When his hand closed around the pudding bowl, he pulled it away. Gary, without looking away from Julius's face, slammed his hand down on Alan's wrist. The teenagers laughed, and Alan pulled his hand away dejectedly.
"Not done yet," He grinned at Rev, sitting across from him. He stood up and walked into the kitchen.
Melody twisted to see him go, "Where's he going?" she asked.
"To go be nice to the lunch lady and get another pudding." Rev explained to her. "He does it all the time,"
Sure enough, in a few minutes, Alan returned with a pudding in his hand.
"You know," Blue said slowly, "Alan may not sass a girl, but he sure can coax a lady."
This comment erupted laughter from among the teenagers. Alan smiled and spooned some of the dessert he acquired into his mouth.
"Now what I'm wondering," Petey said, "Is how Alan there can eat so much pudding and still be the team's toothpick."
Alan just smiled again, as if in secrecy.
"I think that maybe, he runs it all off trying to catch up to me," Petey said.
"Petey," Alan said, "I never chase you. If you're in, I'm not."
"Yeah Petey!" Louie said, hitting him lightly on the shoulder. Petey returned, "I know, but still, the joke was good right?"
Alan smiled as he went to throw his lunch away. "See you guys at practice!"
It wasn't until he was out in the hall that Alan realized he had forgotten Melody. He turned sharply on his heel and saw Melody stopped, watching him carefully. Wonder showed in his deep blue eyes.
Melody laughed, "I don't need to be put on a leash. I can follow."
Alan smiled, "Well, you never know..." he ran his hand through his golden hair, scratching the back of his neck. Together, they started off for their class.