Chapter 1

My best friend is a girl!

We’ve lived on the same street three houses apart our whole lives.

My name is Paul Lockhart, hers is Melody Tremayne.

We are both 14 years old and I am only four days older than her!

We’ve gone to the same school our whole life’s, taking the same bus and our parents have never met.

Although I call her my best friend, she takes my hand often when we are walking somewhere.

Our 15th birthdays are coming up.

We felt it was time to meet each other’s parents because we wanted to invite each other to our birthdays.

After playing rock-scissors-paper, I would be meeting her parents first.

On the walk to her house she told me that they were Margaret and Stephen.

We walked in the house and her father was sitting down reading the newspaper.

He looked up and yelled, “Margaret come out here ... Now!”

We were still holding hands.

Out came a pretty blonde looking to be my mother’s age, “What is it, Stephen?”

She looked straight at me, then our clasped hands.

“Who is this?” The father asked looking to be worried about what the answer might be.

“This is my best friend Paul Lockhart, Daddy.”

I dropped her hand to shake his and I said, “Nice to meet you, Sir!”

“Oh ... he is your best friend?” her mother remarked.

They both seemed to relax as I took and kissed the back of Mrs. Tremayne’s hand.

“How long have you known each other?” Her father asked me casually.

“Almost nine years Daddy,” she answered. “He only lives four houses down from us. We’ve been getting on the same bus and going to the same school since we were six years old.”

“Why are we just meeting him today?” her mother asked sitting on the arm of the sofa her dad was sitting in.

“I want to invite him over for my birthday next Saturday, Daddy!” she responded.

She seems to have her father wrapped around her finger and all she has to do is say the word, Daddy.

I ... kind of do the same thing with my mom.

“That sounds like a great idea,” her mother said. “Why don’t we invite his parents as well? It seems time to meet your best friend’s parents.”

“Thank you, that’s very nice of you,” I said. “By the way, my birthday is this coming Tuesday. I was going to ask my parents if Melody could come over to my birthday. Of course, the both of you are invited as well!”

I quickly added, “They haven’t met her yet which we are going to do next. Is it OK with you if I may take her with me to meet my parents?”

They looked at each other for a moment then they nodded with her father saying that that was fine. “Bring her back home when you are finished, all right?”

“Of course, I will Sir, thank you, Sir!”

During this, I finally picked up the vibe that they thought we were more than friends, so I had let go of her hand again.

On our way out, she grabbed it again causing me to smile.

Once outside, I explained what I picked up on and it made her laugh.

“Could we become boyfriend and girlfriend?” She asked me.

“I don’t know, never had one before!”

Now, it was her turn.

I walked in my house with her next to me and my dad, Peter, was reading the paper. How deja vu is that?

Just as her father did, he dropped the paper and saw us and stood up and said, “And, who is this lovely young lady, Paul?”

We had the same conversation as before. Mom came in the room during it and everyone got introduced.

They invited her to stay for dinner, so she got out her phone and made the phone call and was allowed to stay!

Fascinating how our parents handle the situation so differently.

However, in a matter of minutes there was a knock on our door. It was her mother with a jacket saying, “It might be cold when you get home.”

I introduced my parents, Peter and Ruth, to her, and she said she needed to get home.

That’s what they call a reconnoiter, I believe.

I asked if I could take her to my room and Dad said ‘OK’ but to leaves the door open.

I showed her my room which she was amazed how clean it was. I also showed off my new laptop, a MacBook Pro 15 inch.

She commented that they have Windows machines at their home. She carries an older Dell Laptop with her to school. I don’t know what model.

Them’s fighting words, but I let it go.

Ever since our discussion about boyfriends and girlfriends I’ve been looking at her differently.

Something does seem different!

With me sitting right behind her I showed her how much easier my Apple was, without getting into an argument!

I caught myself picking up her perfume fragrance as I took the mouse and opened Adobe Photoshop!

She mentioned that she didn’t have it at home because it was so expensive. I came to the conclusion that they are not as well off as we are, but it didn’t matter to me because she’s my best friend!

With the call of DINNER, i got up first, then pulled her up. We were nose to nose ... we both smiled, grabbed hands and went to the dinner table.

It was my mom’s favorite meal to fix: Spaghetti with homemade meatballs.

I pulled a chair out for her causing dad to do the same for mom.

“Paul, it seems your good manners are rubbing off on your father,” mom said. Both girls giggled.

Things got really quiet, and I was nervous enough for both of us.

Finally, my mother asked about school.

That got things rolling, and we shared a lot with my BFF and I doing a lot of ending each other’s sentences.

We only share four out of eight total classes, but that got us through to the end of the meal.

I picked up her jacket and put it on her as Dad called me over to talk for a minute.

“Paul,” he said “You’ve mentioned a number of times that you were only best friends. Don’t let that get in the way if you ever decide you have feelings for her. Friends may be nice, bur boyfriend and girlfriend have some advantages, if you understand what I’m telling you?”