Read Online It's Not the End of the World by Judy Blume - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Judy Blume
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bad."
"That long?" I couldn't believe it! How could two people not get along for so many years?
That night I was sitting in the den with Mew on my lap. Her fur shed all over my sweater. I got up to get her brush, then settled on the couch again. She doesn't always like me to brush her. Sometimes she gets mad and tries to bite the brush. Tonight she purred and let me do whatever I wanted.
Mom and Amy were watching TV. Jeff never sits with us any more, except at mealtime. Amy was snuggled up close to Mom, which is really unusual for her. She always used to do that with Daddy. When I am cuddling Mew I never feel bad that my
mother or father is paying attention to someone else.
As I brushed Mew's fur I started to think about what Aunt Ruth had said-that my parents haven't gotten along for six or seven years. And that's when it hit me! If the trouble between Daddy and Mom started that long ago, maybe it had something to do with Amy. That would have been around the time she was born. Maybe they didn't plan to have her. Maybe they only wanted two kids-me and Jeff. But then when Amy was born, Daddy liked her best. Mom was angry that he picked a favorite and she got back at Daddy by making Jeff her favorite. So really, if Amy hadn't been born they'd still be very happy.
I wonder if Amy knows about that? Probably not. She is too young to figure out such a thing. If you ask me Val has it all wrong. I might be the middle child, but it looks like I am the only one who is normal. Amy and Jeff have the problems. Poor Amy! No wonder she can't sleep at night. I am lucky to be no one's favorite.
On Friday night Mrs. Hedley came and Mom went rushing off to her class at Seton Hall. When Mrs. Hedley opened her knitting bag and pulled out a pile of yarn I left the room. Amy could help her make wool balls tonight! I had more important things to do.
I went up to the hideaway. The door was open. Jeff was lying on his bed with his eyes closed. Only his purple light was on. The whole room glowed.
"Hey Jeff. . ."I said.
"Yeah?"
"Did you remember that Monday is Mom's and Daddy's anniversary?"
"So?"
"Don't you think we should do something?"
"Are you kidding?"
"No ... I think it would be very nice to have a little party or something."
Jeff opened his eyes and sat up. "They're getting divorced, Karen."
"So?"
"So you don't go around giving parties for people who're getting divorced."
"Don't you even want to sign my card?"
"You bought a card?" Jeff asked.
"Two," I said, holding them up.
I bought them yesterday. One for Mom and one for Daddy. They are both the same. There's a picture of two bluebirds and it says TO A SWELL COUPLE. I'm going to mail them tomorrow morning because I want to make sure they are delivered on the twenty-sixth, and that's Monday. I'm sure when they remember that it is their sixteenth anniversary they will call their lawyers and cancel the divorce.
"Well," I said to Jeff, "You want to sign them or not?"
"You're nuts!" Jeff said. "You can't send them anniversary cards like there's nothing wrong."
"Says who?"
"You just can't."
"Well, I'm going to. Amy's signing them and so am I and I think you should too."
"That's the dumbest thing I ever heard."
"This is your last chance to sign," I told him.
"Forget it!"
"Okay, I will." I turned and walked out of his room. Let him lie there forever-with his stupid purple light bulb!
When Amy came up to bed I showed her the cards. She liked them a lot. I told her she could sign them and she chose a different color crayon for every letter in her name. And she didn't just sign Amy- she signed Amy Denise Newman.
On Saturday morning Mom said I could ask Debbie to sleep over if I wanted because she was going out to dinner with Aunt Ruth and Uncle Dan. "I don't think we need Mrs. Hedley any more," Mom said. "Jeff is old enough to be in charge."
"I thought you said if we give up Mrs. Hedley some other family will grab her."
"They probably will," Mom said. "But it's foolish to
"That long?" I couldn't believe it! How could two people not get along for so many years?
That night I was sitting in the den with Mew on my lap. Her fur shed all over my sweater. I got up to get her brush, then settled on the couch again. She doesn't always like me to brush her. Sometimes she gets mad and tries to bite the brush. Tonight she purred and let me do whatever I wanted.
Mom and Amy were watching TV. Jeff never sits with us any more, except at mealtime. Amy was snuggled up close to Mom, which is really unusual for her. She always used to do that with Daddy. When I am cuddling Mew I never feel bad that my
mother or father is paying attention to someone else.
As I brushed Mew's fur I started to think about what Aunt Ruth had said-that my parents haven't gotten along for six or seven years. And that's when it hit me! If the trouble between Daddy and Mom started that long ago, maybe it had something to do with Amy. That would have been around the time she was born. Maybe they didn't plan to have her. Maybe they only wanted two kids-me and Jeff. But then when Amy was born, Daddy liked her best. Mom was angry that he picked a favorite and she got back at Daddy by making Jeff her favorite. So really, if Amy hadn't been born they'd still be very happy.
I wonder if Amy knows about that? Probably not. She is too young to figure out such a thing. If you ask me Val has it all wrong. I might be the middle child, but it looks like I am the only one who is normal. Amy and Jeff have the problems. Poor Amy! No wonder she can't sleep at night. I am lucky to be no one's favorite.
On Friday night Mrs. Hedley came and Mom went rushing off to her class at Seton Hall. When Mrs. Hedley opened her knitting bag and pulled out a pile of yarn I left the room. Amy could help her make wool balls tonight! I had more important things to do.
I went up to the hideaway. The door was open. Jeff was lying on his bed with his eyes closed. Only his purple light was on. The whole room glowed.
"Hey Jeff. . ."I said.
"Yeah?"
"Did you remember that Monday is Mom's and Daddy's anniversary?"
"So?"
"Don't you think we should do something?"
"Are you kidding?"
"No ... I think it would be very nice to have a little party or something."
Jeff opened his eyes and sat up. "They're getting divorced, Karen."
"So?"
"So you don't go around giving parties for people who're getting divorced."
"Don't you even want to sign my card?"
"You bought a card?" Jeff asked.
"Two," I said, holding them up.
I bought them yesterday. One for Mom and one for Daddy. They are both the same. There's a picture of two bluebirds and it says TO A SWELL COUPLE. I'm going to mail them tomorrow morning because I want to make sure they are delivered on the twenty-sixth, and that's Monday. I'm sure when they remember that it is their sixteenth anniversary they will call their lawyers and cancel the divorce.
"Well," I said to Jeff, "You want to sign them or not?"
"You're nuts!" Jeff said. "You can't send them anniversary cards like there's nothing wrong."
"Says who?"
"You just can't."
"Well, I'm going to. Amy's signing them and so am I and I think you should too."
"That's the dumbest thing I ever heard."
"This is your last chance to sign," I told him.
"Forget it!"
"Okay, I will." I turned and walked out of his room. Let him lie there forever-with his stupid purple light bulb!
When Amy came up to bed I showed her the cards. She liked them a lot. I told her she could sign them and she chose a different color crayon for every letter in her name. And she didn't just sign Amy- she signed Amy Denise Newman.
On Saturday morning Mom said I could ask Debbie to sleep over if I wanted because she was going out to dinner with Aunt Ruth and Uncle Dan. "I don't think we need Mrs. Hedley any more," Mom said. "Jeff is old enough to be in charge."
"I thought you said if we give up Mrs. Hedley some other family will grab her."
"They probably will," Mom said. "But it's foolish to
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