Read Online Evvie at Sixteen by Susan Beth Pfeffer - Free Book Online

you feeling today, Miss Winslow?”
    â€œIrritable,” Grace replied. “Bored. Cranky.”
    â€œItchy, too, I’ll bet,” Sam said. “My grandmother, my other grandmother, broke her ankle two years ago, and she itched for weeks. It drove her crazy. The day they took the cast off was the happiest day of her life. Or so she claimed at the time.”
    â€œI am not the least bit interested in your grandmother’s broken ankle,” Aunt Grace declared. “And I’m not about to discuss itches with you.”
    â€œNo, I suppose not,” Sam said. “May I take Evvie out to lunch?”
    â€œSo you can discuss itches with her?” Grace asked. “Or make fun of cranky old ladies?”
    â€œSam told me there was a pizza place,” Evvie said. “It sounded like fun. That’s all.”
    â€œAnd what are your intentions, Sam?” Grace asked. “Following lunch.”
    â€œI’m not sure,” Sam said. “But I suppose I’ll bring Evvie back here, try to see more of her this summer, graduate high school, go to college, get my degree, find a decent-paying job, and then marry her. You’ll have to ask Evvie what her intentions are. We’ve only spent a few minutes together, so I can’t speak for her.”
    â€œYou think you’re being amusing,” Grace said. “You’re not, young man.”
    â€œIt wasn’t my intention to be amusing, Miss Winslow,” Sam declared. “I was being honest. Now, may Evvie and I go out for some pizza?”
    â€œPlease, Aunt Grace,” Evvie said. “I’ll be back in an hour, hour and a half tops. And then you can pick which one of the mysteries I should start reading out loud to you. Or maybe we could do some needlepoint together.”
    â€œNeedlepoint?” Grace said. “I didn’t know you cared to sew, Evvie.”
    â€œI don’t,” Evvie said. “But you could teach me. Or I could read while you sewed.”
    â€œVery well,” Grace said. “Go, have your pizza. Be back here in one hour. And don’t let romance cloud your thoughts. You both know I could never allow it. Now go.”
    â€œThank you, Aunt Grace,” Evvie said. She bent over to kiss her aunt good-bye, but Grace waved her away. Evvie smiled, and left the room as fast as dignity allowed. Sam walked out just a bit faster than that.
    â€œLet’s get out of here,” he muttered. “We only have an hour.”
    Evvie skipped down the stairs and rushed to Sam’s car. Sam ran beside her, hopped in, and drove the few miles to the pizza place. Evvie was pleased to see it was at a little mall, complete with supermarket, pharmacy, and gas station.
    â€œSo this is where the natives live,” she said.
    â€œIt’s where we shop,” Sam said. “I’m famished. Terror always makes me hungry.”
    â€œI’ve been hungry since yesterday,” Evvie said. “Do you mind treating? My finances are a little weird right now.”
    â€œNo problem,” Sam said. “Next time it’s on you.”
    â€œYou’re on,” Evvie said. They walked up to the counter, placed their order for pizza slices and Coke, and then took the paper plates and cups and found an empty table. “I left in a hurry yesterday and all Nicky gave me was a hundred dollar bill.”
    â€œNicky?” Sam asked, taking a bite of his pizza.
    â€œMy father,” Evvie said. “And my mother is called Megs. We call them ‘untraditional names’ according to Aunt Grace. Megs is Grace’s niece.”
    â€œLucky Megs,” Sam said. “So they shipped you up here for the summer as punishment for calling them Nicky and Megs?”
    â€œNo punishment,” Evvie said. “Just to be helpful.”
    â€œGood luck,” Sam said. “Do you think you’ll last that long?”
    â€œI’ll try,” Evvie said. “Do you