Read Online Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself by Judy Blume - Free Book Online Page A

God forbid?”
    “Dammit! I’m not a baby,” Douglas said, “so stop treating me like one.”
    “Don’t you ever let me hear you use that language again!” Mom turned to Ma Fanny. “He’s so stubborn lately,” she said, as if Douglas weren’t right there, listening. “How am I going to manage such a stubborn boy all by myself? He needs his father … sometimes I wonder why we ever came here …”
    “Don’t get yourself worked up, Louise,” Ma Fanny said. “Everything will be all right … give it a little time.” She looked across the blanket at Douglas. “Come, Dougie … let me do your back.”
    He let Ma Fanny help him without another word.
    The Rubins spread their beach blanket next to Sally’s, and after Andrea was fully lotioned she and Sally went off together, with Linda running behind them.
    Andrea turned perfect cartwheels up and down the beach. Sally tried her best to copy them but she couldn’t get both legs up for anything. “Didn’t you ever take acrobatics?” Andrea asked.
    “No … did you?” Sally knew the answer before Andrea told her.
    “I’ve taken acrobatics since I was seven and ballet since I was eight.”
    “I take ballet at home too. I’m in Junior Advanced … that is, I would be if I was still in New Jersey.”
    “Can you do a backbend?” Andrea asked.
    “I don’t know … I’ve never tried.”
    “Watch this …” Andrea bent over backwards and when her hands touched the sand she flipped up her legs, stayed like that for a second, then stood up and started all over again.
    “You’re really good,” Sally said.
    “I know … I’ll teach you, if you want …”
    “Okay …”
    Andrea put her hands around Sally’s waist. “Now bend over backwards … go on … I’m holding you … don’t worry … just touch the sand with your hands …”
    “I’m trying,” Sally said.
    “But you’re not doing it … you’re hardly bending at all.”
    “I don’t think my body goes that way.”
    “You have to tell it to … you have to send a little message to your brain …”
    “I’m trying … but my brain’s not listening.”
    “Hi, Sally … what are you doing?”
    Sally straightened up. It was Barbara. “Oh, hi, Barbara … I’m learning to do a backbend. Andrea’s teaching me. Andrea, this is Barbara … she’s in my class at school.”
    “Hi,” Barbara said.
    “Hello,” Andrea answered.
    “Andrea lives across the hall from me,” Sally said.
    “I’m in
sixth
grade,” Andrea told Barbara.
    “You look older,” Barbara said.
    “I am.”
    “Oh, you stayed back?” Barbara asked.
    “No! I’m older than you, is what I meant. I’m almost twelve.”
    “Oh, I get it,” Barbara said. “Well, I’ve got to go now … I have to be home by noon. Bye, Sally … see you Monday.”
    “Bye …”
    “Eeuuww … how can you stand her?” Andrea said, when Barbara was out of earshot. “She’s so … so … stupid!”
    “Not usually,” Sally answered. “Usually she’s very nice. So … you want me to try another backbend?”
    “No … let’s get wet instead.”
    They ran down to the ocean’s edge. “Can you swim?” Andrea asked.
    “Some,” Sally told her. “Can you?”
    Andrea sat in the wet sand and held her knees to her chest. “I could if I wanted to but I feel better with my feet on the bottom … do you know what I mean?”
    Sally tried not to smile. She picked up a handful of wet sand and let it ooze through her fingers. “Ican float on my back. I might be able to teach you.”
    “Maybe,” Andrea said, shielding her eyes from the sun. “Look … there’s the Goodyear Blimp.”
    Sally looked up and saw a big, gray bubble floating over the ocean, in the sky. The word GOODYEAR was printed on its side.
    Linda ran in front of them then, splashing. “Ha ha …” she called, “got you wet … got you wet …”
    “Go back to Mommy,” Andrea yelled. “You know