Chapter Three - 1967

Chapter Three

1967

On a typically frigid February morning, thirteen- year-old Melanie Tyler exited the warmth of the heated school bus and rushed through the heavy insulated glass doorway which led into the Junior High section of Abbeyville Public School. She headed to her locker and met her best friend, who was brushing snow from her coat.

"Katie, what happened?" She asked.

"Eric and Chuck threw snowballs at me again. That's the third time this week. They nearly broke my glasses and my mom can't afford to buy another pair." Katie was close to tears.

Melanie helped her friend clean off the remaining snow before removing her own coat and boots. As she opened her locker, a flurry of red paper hearts flew onto the floor, each one with the same stick-figure picture of a girl with huge frizzy hair and exaggerated breasts. Happy Valentine's Day, loser, was scrawled over the face. Melanie angrily crumpled them before tossing them into the trash.

"You would think those jerks would have better things to do," Melanie said. "My mom said the reason they tease us is because they like us."

"Yeah, my mom says the same thing. I can't imagine what they might do if they actually hated us," Katie replied. "We'd better get to class, the bell is going to ring in about ten seconds. Don't forget the notebook."

"I don't let this out of my sight."

Melanie slid a small black spiral book in between her English and Biology textbooks. She followed her friend into their first period class, purposefully avoiding looking at their two nemeses who were laughing and whispering with several other boys in the back of the room. She took her assigned seat next to Katie who was giving the boys a fierce drop dead look.

After attendance was taken and the Pledge of Allegiance recited, the first of seven period classes began, but Melanie wasn't paying attention to the grammar lesson. Even though she appeared to be taking notes, she was, in fact, writing to Katie using a secret code they had created so they could communicate with each other without anyone being able to know what they were saying.

The girls had created their private communication code the previous winter, after Eric had intercepted a note she had passed to Katie telling her about a crush she had on the second-string quarterback on the Junior Varsity football team. Eric had grabbed the note from Katie's hand and showed it to Chuck. Then, the two of them had read it aloud, just as the entire junior high football team, and their entourage of cheerleaders, past them in the hallway on their way to practice.

Everyone had laughed at her, especially the head cheerleader who was walking arm in arm with that very same quarterback. Of course the boy had also been embarrassed, so much so, that he'd totally stopped speaking to her, even after school, and his cheerleader girlfriend had made it clear that Melanie had better stay away from her boyfriend.

Melanie never forgot how betrayed she had felt that day, and not even Katie's offer to go ice-skating on the lake had been able to cheer her. She cried the entire bus ride home, where, after watching their favorite spy program, she created the special alphabet code which she taught it to Katie the following day.

A few weeks later, the girls purposely left a coded note on the floor by her locker. They hid behind a wall and watched as Eric picked up the paper and showed it to Chuck. Melanie was very pleased when she saw the look of frustration on their faces when they tried to read it, and failed. She felt satisfied that the boys would never have another opportunity to embarrass them by reading private notes again, but the teasing only became more irritating and frequent. Even though the girl's parents had spoken to the principal, the boy's families were so well connected with the school board that, other than a firm reprimand, no punishment was ever dispensed.

After the snow ball assault on Katie and those nasty valentines cascading from her locker, Melanie was more determined than ever that she and Katie needed to come up with a more drastic plan that would put an end to their enemy's harassment once and for all.

When the teacher turned her back to write the assignment on the blackboard, Melanie handed Katie the coded note, which simply confirmed their weekly plan to meet at her house to watch the latest episode of their favorite television show. They had watched every Affair since the very first airing on September 22, 1964, and were such fans, they created their own spy headquarters in the basement of Melanie's house.

During the Cuban Missile Crises in 1962, Melanie's father, like so many families in small towns across America, had built a bomb shelter in the basement of their home. What had once served as a safe haven for nature's occasional tornado had been transformed into a fortress against a potential manmade disaster. Since Abbeyville was less than 150 miles from Duluth everyone in the small community feared the possibility of radiation fallout. Seeing the concrete blocks in her basement had so upset Melanie's mother that after the crises was over, she had insisted that they conceal the concrete walls, so they had it covered over with wooden paneling and turned the basement into a rec room, complete with a full service bar. The door to the shelter itself was hidden behind a removable panel making the entrance appear almost invisible to anyone who didn't know it existed.

It was the perfect location for two young girls to create a private place away from their parents, where they could tell secrets and gossip about boys. After the premier of The Man from U.N.C.L.E., the Tyler's bomb shelter was transformed into Melanie and Katie's very own spy headquarters.

The girls equipped the room with a cardboard filing cabinet and hung a blackboard and posters of the shows two male stars. Melanie's mother's Lazy Susan serving tray resembled the revolving work table on the show and of course they had the full collection of every merchandise tie-in from toy guns to the board game.

While in their secret room, Katie and Melanie had privately joked that Eric and Chuck could have been members of the evil organization T.H.R.U.S.H., and after the note incident, they began to accumulate files and plot a way to get even, but there was never enough real evidence to show their parents or the school authorities. Without any real proof, the girls knew they would be accused of having overactive imaginations and their parents would just say being teased by thirteen-year-old boys was just part of growing up in a small town. But the girls were determined.

The day of the snowball incident, Melanie and Katie were sitting on the bench during girls' basketball waiting for their names to be called. Although they each enjoyed playing sports, neither girl was particularly athletic, so the all-girl gym class was more a time to chat without any boys around to distract them.

"You know, it really is too bad there isn't a real secret spy organization to fight the bad guys and win every week," Katie said to Melanie. "We could sure use their help with Eric and Chuck."

"Well, maybe we'll get an idea after tonight's show. I'm not about to start throwing snowballs, but we really need to do something. Can you think of anyone else who they've been annoying who would want to join us?" Melanie said.

"Hey, what about asking Wyatt to help? I think he might like to play spy with us. He wasn't all that happy with Chuck and Eric after they read your note last year. They really embarrassed him."   

"Embarrassed him?" Melanie said. "Are you kidding? Wyatt hasn't spoken to me since. He still blames me for his break up with Janet, if you can believe that.  You should ask James, I think he likes you."

Melanie didn't tell her friend that James had told her that he wanted to ask Katie to the Valentines dance, and Melanie had told him that he should because she thought Katie liked him, too.

"I think you're trying to play matchmaker, but that's a great idea. He is kinda cute and they're in the same math class. James doesn't like them very much either. He might be able to find out something, even though I know he's going to be busy studying for midterms next week."

"We really need to get these guys soon, so we can both concentrate on studying," Melanie said. "Tonight's basketball game was cancelled and our Drama Club rehearsal had to be moved to tomorrow afternoon. When you see James at lunch, invite him to come over to my place tonight. You can make an excuse that we want to study together."

"Well, I hate to lie, but if you really think James likes me, then I'll do it." Katie replied, trying unsuccessfully not to blush.

The gym teacher blew the whistle and Melanie ran onto the court, but her mind wasn't on basketball. James was a nice boy, which would mean that Eric and Chuck would never suspect him of helping them, but she really didn't want to get him in trouble if he were to be discovered.

As they had planned, Katie sat next to James during lunch while Melanie joined the table with the students of the Drama Club who were discussing their next production. Melanie's attention was split between their conversation regarding the French farce, Thieves Carnival, and the interaction between James and Katie. There was no doubt in her mind that James was accepting her invitation to study, and Katie was agreeing to attend the dance with James.

Melanie's suspicions were confirmed when Katie told her James would be by Melanie's house after supper. The girls managed to avoid Eric and Chuck for the rest of the day since the boys' last class was gym and there was always a practice, even when no game was scheduled.

James arrived at Melanie's several minutes after Katie, greeted Melanie's parents, then followed the girls down the stairs leading to the basement. Believing they were going to study, James sat down at the center table and opened his books. He was a bit shaken when Katie closed the books, took his hand, and led him into the secret room behind the panel.

"Wow, Mel!" James exclaimed once his eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness, "This is super neat!"

"We know, but before we show you anything more, you have to take an oath and swear not to tell anyone." Melanie said. "Raise your right hand and repeat after me." Katie added.

James moved his hand as instructed and echoed Katie and Melanie's words.

 "I swear to never tell anyone, not my family, or my parents, or my friends, anything about this room, or what we talk about. Cross my heart and hope to die," Melanie and Katie said in unison, crossing their hearts.

"Cross my heart and hope to die." James mimicked the gesture as he repeated the last phrase.

"Ok, now we can tell you why you're here."

The girls spent the next half hour giving James a brief explanation about the room, their problems with Chuck and Eric, and why they had invited him to share their secret. Melanie opened the top cabinet and removed the files that had the names   Eric Kramer and Charles Haussman written on the front, and showed them to James.

"Look through these files and see if you can come up with something."

James scanned through the pages, then closed the files and said, "I think I may have what you two need, but it's not in these files and I don't have any real proof."

Melanie picked up a notebook and waited for James to continue.

"We'll worry about proof later," she said. "Tell us what you've got on those creeps!"

"After practice today, I saw Eric and Chuck talking with Wyatt kinda secret like. I thought they were discussing the game plan, but then I saw Eric and Chuck give Wyatt a stack of bills and Wyatt handed then some papers. I can't be certain, but they were acting really strange when I walked by, but I could see them in the mirror. They were putting the papers into their gym lockers."

"James, that's great!" Melanie said, giving James a kiss on the cheek.

"You're the best!" Katie started to repeat Melanie's thank you kiss when he moved his head so her lips connected with his, and the kiss lasted a bit longer than Melanie's.

"Hey you guys.  This is our spy headquarters, not your personal love den!" Melanie kidded.

Katie moved back into her chair.

 "Mel, you said you had rehearsal tomorrow. Do you think you could take James and me with you, so we can check out the locker?"

"You bet, Katie! Now, let's get out of here and watch the real fake spies on TV."

Saturday afternoon Melanie left the auditorium during a scene where her character wasn't on stage. She ran down the hall and unlocked the outside door which led to the gym and let in James and Katie. Knowing that they only had a few minutes, they headed to the boy's locker room. James entered first to be certain the room was empty, then motioned for the girls to follow.

Each locker was tagged with the name of the owner, lined up alphabetically, so it didn't take Katie long to find the one belonging to Eric. The locks were so old, it only took a slight pull for her to release the latch. The girls held their breath when the stench of dirty socks and sneaker escaped into their nostrils, but it was only for a second as Katie found the papers she was looking for.

They both had to stifle their cries of excitement when they saw what Katie was holding; a completed answer bluebook for the upcoming math midterm exam, and on the front cover, written in his own handwriting, was the name Eric Kramer.

Katie opened Chuck's locker and found another answer bluebook with his name on it. Melanie checked the time and seeing she needed to be back on stage in five minutes, closed the lockers and quietly left the gym, the test papers hidden securely in Katie's purse.

"I can't believe we did that!" Melanie whispered.

"What do we do now? Should we show the principal?" Katie replied.

"We'll figure it out tonight at my place. I have to get back on stage. I'll call you when I get home and we can make our plans later tonight. James, you go home, too."

"Ok, I'll see you later. Good luck girls, and Katie, please be careful."

"Don't worry, James. We'll let you know how it goes and thanks for the help." Katie said.

"Always happy to help out an U.N.C.L.E. agent," James smiled and waved good-bye to the two girls as he headed home.

That night, Katie and Melanie finalized their plan to deal with Eric and Charles once and for all. They realized that if they reported them to the principal, or the math teacher, that they would not only have to reveal the name of the student who had told them about the cheating, but also who else was involved, and  admit they had broken into the boy's locker room. They both knew that although it might have been the right thing to do in their parent's point of view, they were certain the rest of their classmates wouldn't think so. They had just started Junior High and being labeled a tattletale was not the reputation either of them wished to be tagged with for the next five years of public school.

After reading through several notes they had taken from watching past episodes of the television show, they came up with a plan. Melanie went upstairs and asked her father to borrow his Polaroid and his newspaper. She brought them back to Katie and took two photos of Katie holding the covers of the answer booklets, alongside the headline of the daily paper, then put the answer books into their filing cabinet.

Early Monday morning, Melanie put the photos into an envelope and placed one in Eric's locker and one in Chuck's, along with a note which read; “Meet us after school by the football bleachers, or else”.

Eric didn't say much when they arrived at the bleachers, but Chuck wasn't about to let them win without putting up a fight.

"These aren't ours," he lied. "I don't know what you girls are trying to do, but making up some fake pictures isn't going to work."

"Shut up, Chuck," Eric whispered, "As far as I'm concerned, it's working fine."

"We know you bought the test answers from Wyatt." Katie said. "And you know these are real because we found them in your lockers. Don't try to throw them out, we have copies hidden in a very secure place."

"Who told you?" Eric's freckles more pronounced since most of the blood had nearly drained from his face.

"None of your business. Let's just say it was a reliable source. But don't worry, we're not going to tell anyone," Melanie said. The boys started to relax a bit, and she continued, "As long as you agree to our demands."

"Whatever you girls want." Eric's voice was starting to crack.

"Shut up, Eric and let them talk," Chuck shouted, still not wanting to admit defeat.

"No more throwing snowballs, or putting things in our locker for starters," Katie began.

"And any other teasing of any kind will stop," Melanie continued. "And you won't tell anyone, not even Wyatt...especially Wyatt, that we found out about the cheating."

"Don't talk to us, don't talk about us, just pretend we don't exist and we'll do the same. Got it?"

Katie gave them a stern look that made it obvious to both boys that they had met their match.

The boys reluctantly agreed to the girls' demands and Katie tore up the photographs, but as promised, Melanie kept copies in her basement files just to make sure the boys wouldn't go back on their word.

Eric and Charles both failed the midterm and had to spend their summer vacation re-taking seventh grade math. Katie and James were inseparable and by the end of Junior High, had put the incident behind them. Melanie's performance in the play received great reviews, and she went on to star in many more productions throughout their high school years. True to her word, she never told anyone about the math midterm, or what she and Katie had done to Eric and Charles. Until now.

"The television series ended the following year,” Melanie explained, “and my mom turned our basement U.N.C.L.E headquarters into a much more friendly storage room for her canned jams and jellies. But I have to say, I was really glad that the Man from U.N.C.L.E. gave us the courage to stand up to the two bullies."

"Glad to hear it. Did that other boy ever fess up to stealing the test in the first place?" Don asked.

"Wyatt you mean? No. But he did apologize to me at the Valentines dance for what Charles and Eric had done with that note. He said at the time he was just being a jerk to impress the guys and whoever he was dating at the time. We sort of began seeing each other in secret, he didn't think his jock buddies would approve of him dating an acting geek, at least that's what he told me. He came to nearly all of my performances and I'd sneak him into that room in the basement after the final curtain call. My parents never found out."

"It sounds like you would have made a really good spy," Don grinned.

"I seriously doubt that. Spies aren't usually as trusting as I was back then. Speaking of past mistakes, see that guy over there?"

Melanie motioned to an overly animated figure dressed in beige shorts and a flashy Floridian print short-sleeve shirt. From where she was sitting, Melanie couldn't tell if his tan was natural, or sprayed on. She could have said the same about his sandy blond hair, which he kept pushing from his forehead with his fingers. It was a purposeful gesture indicating to the balding person he was talking to that he had retained part of his youth that the other man had obviously lost.

A sudden chill came over Melanie and she shivered slightly. She wasn't  sure if it was the temperature in the lobby, or the memory of her youthful indiscretions that had caused the reaction.

"The one who looked like he just stepped off a cruise ship?"

Don nodded in the direction where Melanie was looking.

"Yeah, that's Wyatt Gaynes. Remember I told you he would come to my place after the performances? Nothing physical ever happened. All we ever did was talk. We had some really deep conversations about books and movies and even politics. Then the next day at school he would act as if he didn't even know me. When I told him I had been accepted to U.C.L.A. I thought he'd be excited for me. Instead, he became very angry, almost hysterical that I was leaving Abbeyville. Even though I promised we would see each other when I came home on vacations, that wasn't good enough for Wyatt. I guess he thought I was going to stay here with him, if you can believe that. I'd never seen him that mad, and if I hadn't already bought my prom dress, I never would have gone with him."

"Did you at least have a good time?" Don asked.

"Yes, I suppose. That night he was back to his charming self. The guy was like two different people and unfortunately, I fell for the one who I thought was sincere."

Don could almost feel the invisible connection that evidently still existed between the woman with the story and the man she couldn't seem to take her eyes from.

"And I assume he wasn't?" he asked.

"The lying creep dumped me right after senior prom."

"Oh, I see."

Don had a feeling that a lot more happened after senior prom than Melanie was willing to share with a stranger, not even one with a bottle of wine in his hand.

 "Need a refill?" he tried a weak grin.

Melanie returned his smile, but refused the drink. "No thanks, I see more of our class coming in and I need to get changed for the cocktail party. If you happen to serve any other members of my class, I trust you'll honor the bartender-drinker confidentiality and not say anything about what I told you."

"What exactly did you tell me?"

Don gave Mel a little wink.

"Thanks. So glad I didn't bore you with my little trip down memory lane."

"Not at all. I found that story of your small town history quite interesting. See you later."

Quite interesting, he thought as he watched Melanie walk toward the elevator. Stu was right when he suggested recruiting her and Katie for the mission. At first he didn't think the women would want to work with them because of classmate loyalties, but after he heard Melanie's story he was convinced they not only could help, but would be more than willing to bring Haussman, Kramer, and especially Gaynes to justice. And much to his amazement, he found himself looking forward to working with the very fascinating Melanie Tyler a lot more than he had originally thought.

For now Don had to put all thoughts about the mission, and Melanie, on hold as the reunion crowd began to fill the bar stools, and they were a very thirsty crowd.