Read Online Among Friends by Caroline B. Cooney - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Caroline B. Cooney
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wouldn’t be so alone.
But what do I do now? It’s Christmas vacation, and we’re off to Killington and Paul is alone. I tried to telephone him. It’s been disconnected. I phoned the hospital to ask after Mrs. Smith, but they wouldn’t give me any information at all. I have to help Paul, and I have to help Mrs. Smith—but I promised I wouldn’t tell.
What is a promise?
How much does it count?
How bad are you if you keep the promise and how bad are you if you break it?
It’s noisy out. Isn’t that odd? Ice clinging to every twig has cracked, dropping through the crust of snow. Shutters tap, branches rasp together, and the wind whistles out of tune behind the shed.
Mrs. Quint was over talking to Jared’s mother. It seems that her dear brilliant special Jennie had a hard holiday. Mrs. Quint is angry at Emily and Hillary for abandoning Jennie, even though Mrs. Quint has never liked Em and Hill. Mrs. Quint feels the world should revolve around her precious Jennie and she is absolutely frosted about this mediocre Christmas.
Jared and I had a perfect holiday. Everybody should spend a winter vacation in Colorado. Got home December 30, threw our bags down and went into New York for the day. We got tickets to
Amahl and the Night Visitors
. It’s kind of sentimental but I like that musical: crippled boy receives miracle when he gives his only possession—his crutch—to the infant King.
I was thinking, though.
You feel sorry for Amahl because he’s pitiful.
If Amahl were perfect—like Jennie—then you wouldn’t care.
Perfect people are on their own.
Two weeks ago I told Dad about
Ye Season, It Was Winter
. Already he wants to see what I’ve gotten accomplished. Sometimes I feel as if I’m under attack.
But I keep producing, I keep working, I keep doing my best. I love doing my best. It makes me feel shiny inside, and breathless.
And I want to talk about it.
I want to call Hillary up and shriek, “Hill! I did it again! And it’s good!” I want to call Emily up and yell, “Em! Wait ’til you read this! I’m brilliant!”
Can you imagine? They’d hang up on me. Then they’d call each other up.
“Do you believe that conceited arrogant blankety blank Jennie Quint?”
But it hardly matters.
They went to Killington the day after Christmas.
Jared and Ansley went to Colorado to ski.
Nobody knows what Paul Classified did. I guess he likes being alone. He certainly has the choice of friends and parties. I can’t imagine that. Why ever on earth would a person choose to be alone? I hate being alone!
Daddy and Mother got worried about me because I was depressed, so we flew out to Chicago to visit Daddy’s college friends for a weekend. Chicago was fun. It looks the way a city should look. Daddy brought tapes of the musical and his old college roommate thinks we can get it published. Mother went wild with excitement and got right to work on the leads he provided.
I would love it—and yet—how could I tell anybody?
They don’t want me to do more, they want me to do less.
The Awesome Threesome went cross-country skiing on the hills beyond Lost Pond. There had been an ice storm, and skiing was crunchy. We were together five hours.
Marching orders from our mothers, actually, because over Christmas vacation we’re not allowed to be mean. I said to my mother, “Did Mrs. Quint tell you to tell us to ask Jennie?” and my mother said, “Are you kidding? Mrs. Quint is thrilled that Jennie is finally out of the threesome. It was holding Jennie back, you know.”
And I said, “So why do Emily and I have to do this?” and my mother said, “Because I felt so guilty at Killington without Jennie that I had a horrible time.”
I rolled my eyes. “You have a horrible time and I have to be nice?” I said. My mother shrugged. “Life isn’t fair,” she reminded me. I rolled my eyes again. “Of course not,” I told her. “After all, we’re talking Jennie here.”
So we invited Jennie skiing and
But what do I do now? It’s Christmas vacation, and we’re off to Killington and Paul is alone. I tried to telephone him. It’s been disconnected. I phoned the hospital to ask after Mrs. Smith, but they wouldn’t give me any information at all. I have to help Paul, and I have to help Mrs. Smith—but I promised I wouldn’t tell.
What is a promise?
How much does it count?
How bad are you if you keep the promise and how bad are you if you break it?
It’s noisy out. Isn’t that odd? Ice clinging to every twig has cracked, dropping through the crust of snow. Shutters tap, branches rasp together, and the wind whistles out of tune behind the shed.
Mrs. Quint was over talking to Jared’s mother. It seems that her dear brilliant special Jennie had a hard holiday. Mrs. Quint is angry at Emily and Hillary for abandoning Jennie, even though Mrs. Quint has never liked Em and Hill. Mrs. Quint feels the world should revolve around her precious Jennie and she is absolutely frosted about this mediocre Christmas.
Jared and I had a perfect holiday. Everybody should spend a winter vacation in Colorado. Got home December 30, threw our bags down and went into New York for the day. We got tickets to
Amahl and the Night Visitors
. It’s kind of sentimental but I like that musical: crippled boy receives miracle when he gives his only possession—his crutch—to the infant King.
I was thinking, though.
You feel sorry for Amahl because he’s pitiful.
If Amahl were perfect—like Jennie—then you wouldn’t care.
Perfect people are on their own.
Two weeks ago I told Dad about
Ye Season, It Was Winter
. Already he wants to see what I’ve gotten accomplished. Sometimes I feel as if I’m under attack.
But I keep producing, I keep working, I keep doing my best. I love doing my best. It makes me feel shiny inside, and breathless.
And I want to talk about it.
I want to call Hillary up and shriek, “Hill! I did it again! And it’s good!” I want to call Emily up and yell, “Em! Wait ’til you read this! I’m brilliant!”
Can you imagine? They’d hang up on me. Then they’d call each other up.
“Do you believe that conceited arrogant blankety blank Jennie Quint?”
But it hardly matters.
They went to Killington the day after Christmas.
Jared and Ansley went to Colorado to ski.
Nobody knows what Paul Classified did. I guess he likes being alone. He certainly has the choice of friends and parties. I can’t imagine that. Why ever on earth would a person choose to be alone? I hate being alone!
Daddy and Mother got worried about me because I was depressed, so we flew out to Chicago to visit Daddy’s college friends for a weekend. Chicago was fun. It looks the way a city should look. Daddy brought tapes of the musical and his old college roommate thinks we can get it published. Mother went wild with excitement and got right to work on the leads he provided.
I would love it—and yet—how could I tell anybody?
They don’t want me to do more, they want me to do less.
The Awesome Threesome went cross-country skiing on the hills beyond Lost Pond. There had been an ice storm, and skiing was crunchy. We were together five hours.
Marching orders from our mothers, actually, because over Christmas vacation we’re not allowed to be mean. I said to my mother, “Did Mrs. Quint tell you to tell us to ask Jennie?” and my mother said, “Are you kidding? Mrs. Quint is thrilled that Jennie is finally out of the threesome. It was holding Jennie back, you know.”
And I said, “So why do Emily and I have to do this?” and my mother said, “Because I felt so guilty at Killington without Jennie that I had a horrible time.”
I rolled my eyes. “You have a horrible time and I have to be nice?” I said. My mother shrugged. “Life isn’t fair,” she reminded me. I rolled my eyes again. “Of course not,” I told her. “After all, we’re talking Jennie here.”
So we invited Jennie skiing and
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