Read Online Just Another Girl by Melody Carlson - Free Book Online Page A

your hair wet,” I remind her. Then, just for good measure, I soap up a washcloth and hand it to her. “And get all that yucky black stuff off of your pretty face, okay?”
    â€œOkay,” she chirps back at me. She loves it when I call her pretty.
    â€œI’ll get your pj’s and be right back.”
    Her ten minutes stretch into about twenty. But finally we’vegone through all the regular bedtime routine, and she’s tucked into bed and ready for prayers.
    â€œDear heavenly Father,” she begins just like usual. “Bless Mommy. Bless Rose. Bless Aster. And bless Owen!”
    This makes me laugh.
    â€œWhy that funny?”
    â€œIt’s not funny, Lily. It’s just sweet that you remembered Owen.”
    â€œHe’s our friend.”
    I nod. “Yes, he is.”
    Lily continues her prayer. She says she’s sorry for a couple of incidents that must’ve happened at the pool or the park, and she also says she’s sorry for getting into my art stuff. “And help me be a good girl,” she says finally. “And help Micah to be my friend. I don’t mean boyfriend, God. I just want him to hold my hand sometimes. Amen.”
    â€œWho is Micah?” I ask as I pull the sheet up around her chin the way she likes it. Even though it’s still pretty warm in the house, Lily likes to have her covers on.
    â€œThe new boy.”
    â€œDoes he go to the rec center?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œIs he nice?”
    â€œYes. But he doesn’t want to hold my hand.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    She wrinkles her nose. “He says I have girl germs.”
    I laugh. “Well, just tell him he has boy germs.”
    â€œDoes he?”
    I shrug. “I guess.”
    â€œMaybe I don’t wanna hold his hand.”
    â€œMaybe not.” I turn on her Winnie the Pooh night-light and turn off the overhead one. “Good night, Princess Lily.”
    â€œGood night, Princess Aster.” She giggles over our old good night game. I haven’t called her Princess in ages. “I love you!”
    â€œI love you too,” I say. “And I’m sorry I got mad at you.”
    â€œThat’s okay.”
    And as I close her door, leaving it cracked open the prerequisite six inches, I realize that she means it. It is okay. She has forgiven me. But when I go to the kitchen, begin cleaning up the mess she made, and toss my ruined charcoals into the trash, I’m not so sure that I have totally forgiven her.

7
    I have less than two days to figure this out. How can I go out with Owen on Friday night and still be sure that Lily is taken care of? I know I can’t count on Mom. She almost always works late on Friday nights. In desperation, I decide to ask Rose. She’s been out with Jared again. Not only is it past her curfew, since it’s after midnight, but I can tell she’s been drinking too. And I actually think if I’m just desperate enough that I might use this evidence against her. Am I above blackmail? Maybe not . . . not when it comes to my second chance with Owen.
    But after I nicely ask Rose about staying home with Lily, she just laughs in my face, then says, “Yeah, right.”
    â€œWhy not?” I plead.
    â€œBecause I’m going out with Jared, that’s why not.” She pulls her shirt off and throws it onto the floor with the rest of her slush pile.
    â€œYou could invite Jared over here, and you guys could—”
    â€œLike that’s going to happen.”
    â€œBut I need a break, Rose. I take care of Lily all the time. 24-7.”
    â€œShe goes to the rec center during the day.”
    â€œYeah, but who gets her to the rec center? Who picks her up? Who is constantly on call for her? Who feeds her and stays with her and puts her to bed?”
    â€œPoor little you.”
    â€œI’m not asking for sympathy. Just some help.”
    â€œWell, here’s my help for you, Aster. Let me give you