Chapter 13

Alan lay awake in his bed, staring at the ceiling above him. He wondered how many kids from T. C. Williams came home from the dance that night and stared up at the ceiling. Then he wondered how many people in this town were looking at ceilings. And what about the state? And the country? And the world? Why did people look at ceilings anyway? He looked up to clear his emotions, without having anything to distract him. The ceiling was plain, blank, bare. Nothing interesting about it. Yet, it probably still got more attention than the colorful walls or the fuzzy carpets.

Tonight had been an eventful night. When Alan had recovered enough, he drove Melody home, and despite how disfigured he must have looked, she had given him a kiss on the cheek and a long, tight hug, whispering, "I had a great time, Thanks Alan."

Alan remembered that part clearly. He remembered the scent of her, and the feeling of warmth she somehow gave off to him. He had wanted to hold her for a long time. He found himself picturing Melody and him, holding each other... being with each other... Thinking about this, Alan became unusually happy. He had been happy all night, even when he was injured. The only other times he felt like this was... he gasped as he realized the finishing part of his sentence. He was this happy whenever he was with Melody.

He liked Melody, a lot. He loved seeing her in the halls and only saying a few words, but knowing that she understood. He loved stretching with her after football practice, when the cool wind whipped her hair around her face. But what he really loved, was when she laughed. When she threw back her head, her face broke into a smile as bright as a sunrise, and really laughed. He really liked that.

---

"I like her Gary," Alan said suddenly. He was sitting on Gary's front porch, visiting with him.

"You like who?" Gary asked, looking at Alan a little strangely. They had been talking about the game the Titans had played to get second place in the National championships and Alan just popped out with this.

"Melody," Alan whispered. He stopped and looked up, "I just like being with her, or talking to her, it makes me happy." A dreamy look crossed Alan's face before he looked up to see Gary's reaction. "You know?"

Gary nodded, "Yup." He paused for a moment, "You know, from when you and Melody first met, I thought something was going to go on between you. But then, Sunshine came in..." Gary didn't finish his sentence, didn't need to.

Alan understood. Ronnie had come and melted Melody's heart, just like he melted all the other girls too. It made Alan jealous and angry for a second, but he put the feeling away. He couldn't blame Ronnie for Melody liking him.

"You should ask her out Alan," Gary said simply, after he had watched conflicting emotions pass over his friends face.

"Ask who out?" Asked a bright, cheery voice.

Alan and Gary both jerked their heads up to see Melody standing there, with a big poster board under her arms. She was wearing a plain blue skirt with a white shirt, and her long curly hair had been pulled into a simple pony tail that hung down her back. Alan smiled to himself, she could look beautiful anyway she wanted too.

"Oh, no one." Alan lied, looking away as Melody smiled like she didn't believe him.

"Anyway," she sighed, breaking the silence that followed Alan's remark, "look, I made this."

She turned the poster board she was carrying around, and revealed a huge, bright, colorful collage. Alan and Gary grinned, looking at it with great interest. Melody had taken many many pictures of the guys on the football team, and this was what those pictures had become. She had blended all the faces together to form an extremely impressive and artistic collage.

Alan picked out pictures of the team in motion during games, during practice, and just goofing off. He saw one of Ronnie tossing Alan over his shoulder and carrying him away. Alan smiled at that. The greatest picture though, was one of Julius's and Gary's hands, meeting in the center of the board, shaking, the dark of Julius's skin against the white of Gary's. This was what their team was all about, the colors meeting, the compromise of a war that had been being fought for a long time.

Alan looked at the pictures with glee. One showed Ronnie, Petey and Blue, sitting on the bench together, all wearing the same expression, worry about the game. Another part of the board had the silhouettes of some team members as they did the warm ups. Melody had cut out the bodies of them doing up down and arranged them so they formed a huge pyramid and Sheryl, happy and smiling was standing at the top with her hands on her hips.

"This is great stuff Mel!" Gary praised, looking up at her.

"Thank you. I thought we could hang it up in the school." She said slowly. "Alan, what do you think?" She bent down beside him, looking with him.

"It fantastic," he breathed, "You made us look like we were such a together team. We all look real close."

"I made you look like that, Alan?" she asked, amazed at his words. "You got to be kiddin' me. I didn't do anything but take a pair of scissors and glue and put you guys in pieces on this board."

She pointed to the facial expressions on the board. "See that? I didn't do that, you guys did. And that's what makes you a team."

When Alan just gave her a some-what blank look, she searched the board until she found a certain picture.

"Look," she whispered. Alan followed her finger to a picture of himself, Blue, Ronnie, Gary, Julius, Petey, Rev and Louie. They were all walking together, laughing. Louie had just clapped Rev on the arm. Blue was singing. Petey, himself, and Ronnie were just goofing off. Gary and Julius were looking right at each other, trust in their eyes.

"What do you see in this picture?" Melody asked.

Alan didn't answer.

"Trust, love, friendship. That's what you guys had, still have." She shook her head, as if to laugh at his foolishness, "I didn't do anything Alan. Your team did it all."

Gary nodded, thinking Melody was smarter than anyone thought she was. The team had trusted each other, and the feelings between them were great. Alan nodded too, understanding what Melody was saying.

"You're right." He whispered.

"'Course I am!" Melody smiled teasingly. She stood up and started walking to her car.

"Anyway," she explained, "I just wanted to show you guys this before I hang it up in the school. See you later!" With that she walked away, Alan watching her body move in a rhythmic motion.

"Alan," Gary said quietly after Melody had gotten into her car and driven away with a wave, "You have to tell her how you feel. Tonight, at the end of season banquet."

Alan nodded, "Yeah, okay." He said, but he knew he would never work up the nerve to tell her. Melody would never go out with him.