Read Online Confectionately Yours #4: Something New by Lisa Papademetriou - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lisa Papademetriou
Ads: Link
“There are three of us. And Denise.” Denise is my mom’s sister. “And what about your sister and her children?”
“Granty Emily!” Chloe cheers. “And Edwin!”
“What about Josephine?” I ask, naming our other cousin.
“Meh,” Chloe says with a shrug.
“And then there are definitely going to be some people from the groom’s side,” Mom puts in. “And you may even want to ask a few friends.”
“Can Rupert come?” Chloe asks.
“Oh, honestly, this is all just so complicated,” Gran huffs. “I think I’d rather cancel the wedding altogether and be done with it.”
She takes a sip of her tea while we stare at her for a moment. Tessie even sits down. Finally.
Cancel the wedding? My blood feels thick as glue, my head like it’s full of air. Not marry Mr. Malik? But that would be … That would be …
“You’re joking, of course,” Mom says, taking the brochure from Gran’s hand. “Look, perhaps I’m giving you too much information. Why don’t you sit down with Umer and talk it over? We can meet another time.” Mom starts gathering the magazines into a tidy, colorful pile.
She’s focused on making things orderly, but I can tell she’s as upset as I am. Her face is pale, and she rakes her hair back in an anxious gesture I know well — I saw it a lot in the months after Dad moved out.
I’m so busy watching Mom and thinking that I don’t even notice that Tessie has stepped onto my poster until a puddle makes its way toward my paint pen. “Chloe!” I screech.
“What? Ohmigosh, Tessie! No! No!”
Tessie just looks up at my sister and keeps going until she is all out of pee.
“Gracious!” Gran exclaims as I shoo the dog off the poster. Mom dashes toward the kitchen for a roll of paper towels. “What has that animal been consuming?” Gran demands.
“So much for house-trained!” I growl at Chloe. “My poster is ruined!”
“She’s paper-trained,” Chloe protests. “If your paper is on the floor, she doesn’t know the difference!”
Mom drops a pile of paper towels onto my poster, but it’s not like it can be saved. I can’t put up a poster covered in dog pee. Instead, I fold up the mess and carry it to the garbage. Then I spend about fifteen minutes washing my hands with antibacterial soap.
Mom comes up behind me and leans against the kitchen door frame. “Are you okay?” she asks gently.
No , I think. No! I’ve got a poster covered in pee and Marco asked me to the dance and I don’t want to go to another school and I don’t think I even want to run for vice president and maybe Gran isn’t getting married after all! But I don’t want to talk about any of it. “I can’t wait until we get rid of thatstupid dog,” I snap exactly one split second before I realize that Chloe is standing right behind my mom.
My sister dashes off. A moment later, I hear the door to our room slam shut.
Mom and I look at each other for a moment.
“I should go after her,” I say.
“Give yourself a few minutes,” Mom says gently. “And give her a few. Do you want to talk?”
Here is a question: How do moms know when you’re upset by more than just dog pee? “I want to think,” I admit. “I’m going for a walk.”
“Okay.” Mom gives me a quick kiss on the forehead, and as her black curls tickle my face, I breathe in the familiar, comforting scent of her shampoo. I grab my coat from the hook and head out the back door. I don’t want to have to explain everything to Gran.
I just want to go out into the twilight air and breathe awhile.
M y favorite store, Frantic, is two blocks up from the Tea Room. There are always really amazing window displays in the front and usually a street musician performing by the entrance. The store is packed with fun clothes, funny stuff, and beautiful room decorations. I usually can’t afford to buy much, but it’s the kind of store that’s fun to look in, because there are a million things that make me smile.
Anyway, this week’s
“Granty Emily!” Chloe cheers. “And Edwin!”
“What about Josephine?” I ask, naming our other cousin.
“Meh,” Chloe says with a shrug.
“And then there are definitely going to be some people from the groom’s side,” Mom puts in. “And you may even want to ask a few friends.”
“Can Rupert come?” Chloe asks.
“Oh, honestly, this is all just so complicated,” Gran huffs. “I think I’d rather cancel the wedding altogether and be done with it.”
She takes a sip of her tea while we stare at her for a moment. Tessie even sits down. Finally.
Cancel the wedding? My blood feels thick as glue, my head like it’s full of air. Not marry Mr. Malik? But that would be … That would be …
“You’re joking, of course,” Mom says, taking the brochure from Gran’s hand. “Look, perhaps I’m giving you too much information. Why don’t you sit down with Umer and talk it over? We can meet another time.” Mom starts gathering the magazines into a tidy, colorful pile.
She’s focused on making things orderly, but I can tell she’s as upset as I am. Her face is pale, and she rakes her hair back in an anxious gesture I know well — I saw it a lot in the months after Dad moved out.
I’m so busy watching Mom and thinking that I don’t even notice that Tessie has stepped onto my poster until a puddle makes its way toward my paint pen. “Chloe!” I screech.
“What? Ohmigosh, Tessie! No! No!”
Tessie just looks up at my sister and keeps going until she is all out of pee.
“Gracious!” Gran exclaims as I shoo the dog off the poster. Mom dashes toward the kitchen for a roll of paper towels. “What has that animal been consuming?” Gran demands.
“So much for house-trained!” I growl at Chloe. “My poster is ruined!”
“She’s paper-trained,” Chloe protests. “If your paper is on the floor, she doesn’t know the difference!”
Mom drops a pile of paper towels onto my poster, but it’s not like it can be saved. I can’t put up a poster covered in dog pee. Instead, I fold up the mess and carry it to the garbage. Then I spend about fifteen minutes washing my hands with antibacterial soap.
Mom comes up behind me and leans against the kitchen door frame. “Are you okay?” she asks gently.
No , I think. No! I’ve got a poster covered in pee and Marco asked me to the dance and I don’t want to go to another school and I don’t think I even want to run for vice president and maybe Gran isn’t getting married after all! But I don’t want to talk about any of it. “I can’t wait until we get rid of thatstupid dog,” I snap exactly one split second before I realize that Chloe is standing right behind my mom.
My sister dashes off. A moment later, I hear the door to our room slam shut.
Mom and I look at each other for a moment.
“I should go after her,” I say.
“Give yourself a few minutes,” Mom says gently. “And give her a few. Do you want to talk?”
Here is a question: How do moms know when you’re upset by more than just dog pee? “I want to think,” I admit. “I’m going for a walk.”
“Okay.” Mom gives me a quick kiss on the forehead, and as her black curls tickle my face, I breathe in the familiar, comforting scent of her shampoo. I grab my coat from the hook and head out the back door. I don’t want to have to explain everything to Gran.
I just want to go out into the twilight air and breathe awhile.
M y favorite store, Frantic, is two blocks up from the Tea Room. There are always really amazing window displays in the front and usually a street musician performing by the entrance. The store is packed with fun clothes, funny stuff, and beautiful room decorations. I usually can’t afford to buy much, but it’s the kind of store that’s fun to look in, because there are a million things that make me smile.
Anyway, this week’s
Similar Books
