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Chapter 3
"Mel! Wait up!"
She turned and watched in surprise as Brian jogged up to her. "Hey! What are you doing up this early?"
The sky was just beginning to lighten with promise of a gorgeous day ahead, the first rays of sunlight filtering through the tall treetops. "I'm an early riser."
Mel raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Since when? I don't recall you as the type to get up at the crack of dawn. I always thought you were the typical, lazy guy."
He grinned at her as the two continued to jog a bit, their breaths visible in the chilled morning. "I was, but I grew out of it."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. Having a family to support changes one's perspectives quite a bit."
Mel laughed. "I can imagine. Your wife looks nice though, and your daughter's just adorable. What's her name again?"
"Patricia. Patti for short."
"She's so cute."
"I know, but she can be such a handful at times."
"And I guess that's why you run away in the mornings, huh?"
"How'd you know?" He looked over at her, mock innocence playing his face.
She laughed again and the two continued to jog on in a comfortable silence. Thankful for the lapse in conversation, Mel once again turned her thoughts inward. Although the nagging feeling she'd felt the day before hadn't grown any stronger, it hadn't left either and Mel was getting tired of wondering when things would change.
Brian's voice cut into her thoughts. "You know Mel, I know your little secret."
Mel's heart froze but she managed to hide most of the fear from her features. There's no way you could know about any of my secrets unless you were one of them… "What secret would that be, Brian?"
"Look, don't get snappy with me. I've known for a long time now."
"What are you talking about?" Her nerves jangled in anticipation of his answer.
"Don't hide, Mel. I'm flattered actually." Mel gave him a look to show she was still not connecting with him. She'd actually been completely thrown off just then. If not her secret about the Lhaam then what… "I knew you liked me in junior high."
Mel blushed, not from having him reveal that fact to her but from the embarrassment she felt at having thought he could know anything about her other life. She'd jumped to conclusions and she was at a loss for words so he continued.
"But you know it wouldn't have worked out," he was saying. "You were too smart for such a class clown like me. You had your future in mind. You knew what you were going to do with your life. Me? I didn't plan ahead very well. I hardly looked further in the future than what I was doing the next day. To think ahead a week was pushing it. So you see, it wouldn't have worked out. Two people living completely different lives. I just wanted to tell you that I knew."
"Oh. Okay." She didn't know what else to say.
Brian just grinned back at her and the two headed back to the Ahwahnee where everyone was now getting up and ready for their first day back together. Mel relaxed slightly, knowing that her most important secret was still secret. She comforted herself with that knowledge after having just made a fool of herself on the trail.
As the hotel came into sight, Mel glanced over at Brian whose sharp, brown eyes focused on the path ahead. She'd forgotten about her infatuation with this man. It had been what? Only the beginning half of eighth grade? It had been his boyish charm that had won her heart for a while there, but he was right. They were too different and she'd settled for being friends with him, knowing for certain that their futures weren't compatible.
Brian caught her looking at him. "What?"
Mel smiled. "Just trying to figure out why I liked you in the first place. You were never good for more than a laugh."
"Hey, it was a laugh well earned. I practiced long and hard to be the goofy guy everyone came to know and expect."
"You practiced at it? Oh, now that's a riot! I would never have thought it. Your jokes were so horrible!" Mel laughed, sprinting ahead the last few measures of land, knowing he'd pretend to take offense and run after her. Brian stayed true to her predictions and Mel smiled, thankful that some things never changed.