Read Online Switched, Bothered and Bewildered by Suzanne Macpherson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Suzanne Macpherson
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down on a tall kitchen stool opposite her aunt. "That's for sure."
Jillian put the pot on the stove, hiked up the burner to high, then crossed over to her niece. She put her arms around her and squeezed. "I've missed you, kiddo. I love you."
"Me too, Aunt Jilly." Carly squeezed back. Jillian could feel emotion in that hug.
"Watch out," Carly said sharply. Jillian felt something whiz by her head and spotted a green crayon as it smashed into the wall.
"Hey, monsters, no crayon throwing." Jillian marched over to the table of five-year-old terrors. Little redheaded Andy giggled. Jillian rounded the table, looking at their drawings. "Wow, kids, these are great. Andy, is that a two-headed snoz-wonker?"
"A what?" Andy squealed.
"Two-headed snozwonker." Jillian pointed.
"Yeah, yeah! It is." Andy seemed delighted.
"Lemme see/' Susy leaned over.
"Very neat work, Susy" Jillian said.
"Thank you, Miss Lady," Susy smiled.
"You're welcome, Miss Susy." Jillian walked back over to the kitchen and pried open a box of macaroni and cheese. She dumped the whole thing into the water, then had to fish out the cheese packet. "Oops." A few stirs, and she picked up her coffee as she watched the noodles boil. She noticed Carly had a cup of coffee. Coffee at fifteen? What was that about? "So, kiddo, what's new in high school?"
"Sophomore year sucks."
"How's your art coming?"
"It's the only thing that keeps me sane. I placed second in the spring exhibition. What's new in the big city?"
"Burnout. I hit the wall. That's very cool about your award."
"Thanks. So you picked our house to chill in?" Carly sipped her coffee.
"Yup. Why are you drinking coffee?" Jillian asked.
"Mom lets me."
"It looks to me like Mom just waves when you pass. Give me that stuff. I'll fix it up for you."
"No way."
"It'll be better, I promise. Trust Aunt Jillian."
Carly looked at her funny but slid the cup over the counter.
Jillian took it away from her and went to the pantry for the hot chocolate mix she'd seen. At least she could minimize the effects. She used the scooper to dump a goodly amount in the cup and stirred by swirling it in the air. Then she headed for the fridge and the new half and half cream she'd bought at the market. She stirred the heck out of the whole mess and gave it a small blast in the microwave, then squirted whipped cream out of a can on top. Ta da.
She passed it to Carly "Mocha Java a la Jillian."
Carly sipped. "Not bad."
"With a little effort, I was thinking we might change things around here. It might make your mom perk up. What do you think?"
"Like Trading Spaces?"
"Yeah, like that. I mean hey, this is the same stuff as when I lived here in 1985."
"My parents thought it looked retro."
"Retro would be an improvement."
"What would I have to do?"
"Work your butt off. Strip that duck wallpaper border off, paint walls, stuff like that. And honey, clean your horrible room."
"Can we do my room over too?"
"I'm only supposed to be here a week, but they make it look easy on television. And I do know how to do one thing. Hire people. I hired a guy to fix the washer today. Which reminds me, I have a
date with him. Well, your mother has a date with him. I thought he was very interesting and maybe I could leave her something to come home to."
"Geez, Aunt Jillian, fast worker. But I'll have to check him out, you know. I get final approval. Can we do over my room?" Carly asked again.
"Yes, yes. But I've watched enough home makeover shows to know you've got to gut the place first."
"I've got a bunch of ideas."
"I do too. Like you doing all your laundry, because I ain't touchin' it."
"Okay, if you promise that no matter what I come up with for my room you'll do it."
"How about no matter what you come up with I'll look it over and make sure it works, and you'll do your laundry no matter what."
"Deal." Carly slurped up the rest of her mocha and popped off the kitchen stool. "I've got math homework, but I can do that fast. I'll stick
Jillian put the pot on the stove, hiked up the burner to high, then crossed over to her niece. She put her arms around her and squeezed. "I've missed you, kiddo. I love you."
"Me too, Aunt Jilly." Carly squeezed back. Jillian could feel emotion in that hug.
"Watch out," Carly said sharply. Jillian felt something whiz by her head and spotted a green crayon as it smashed into the wall.
"Hey, monsters, no crayon throwing." Jillian marched over to the table of five-year-old terrors. Little redheaded Andy giggled. Jillian rounded the table, looking at their drawings. "Wow, kids, these are great. Andy, is that a two-headed snoz-wonker?"
"A what?" Andy squealed.
"Two-headed snozwonker." Jillian pointed.
"Yeah, yeah! It is." Andy seemed delighted.
"Lemme see/' Susy leaned over.
"Very neat work, Susy" Jillian said.
"Thank you, Miss Lady," Susy smiled.
"You're welcome, Miss Susy." Jillian walked back over to the kitchen and pried open a box of macaroni and cheese. She dumped the whole thing into the water, then had to fish out the cheese packet. "Oops." A few stirs, and she picked up her coffee as she watched the noodles boil. She noticed Carly had a cup of coffee. Coffee at fifteen? What was that about? "So, kiddo, what's new in high school?"
"Sophomore year sucks."
"How's your art coming?"
"It's the only thing that keeps me sane. I placed second in the spring exhibition. What's new in the big city?"
"Burnout. I hit the wall. That's very cool about your award."
"Thanks. So you picked our house to chill in?" Carly sipped her coffee.
"Yup. Why are you drinking coffee?" Jillian asked.
"Mom lets me."
"It looks to me like Mom just waves when you pass. Give me that stuff. I'll fix it up for you."
"No way."
"It'll be better, I promise. Trust Aunt Jillian."
Carly looked at her funny but slid the cup over the counter.
Jillian took it away from her and went to the pantry for the hot chocolate mix she'd seen. At least she could minimize the effects. She used the scooper to dump a goodly amount in the cup and stirred by swirling it in the air. Then she headed for the fridge and the new half and half cream she'd bought at the market. She stirred the heck out of the whole mess and gave it a small blast in the microwave, then squirted whipped cream out of a can on top. Ta da.
She passed it to Carly "Mocha Java a la Jillian."
Carly sipped. "Not bad."
"With a little effort, I was thinking we might change things around here. It might make your mom perk up. What do you think?"
"Like Trading Spaces?"
"Yeah, like that. I mean hey, this is the same stuff as when I lived here in 1985."
"My parents thought it looked retro."
"Retro would be an improvement."
"What would I have to do?"
"Work your butt off. Strip that duck wallpaper border off, paint walls, stuff like that. And honey, clean your horrible room."
"Can we do my room over too?"
"I'm only supposed to be here a week, but they make it look easy on television. And I do know how to do one thing. Hire people. I hired a guy to fix the washer today. Which reminds me, I have a
date with him. Well, your mother has a date with him. I thought he was very interesting and maybe I could leave her something to come home to."
"Geez, Aunt Jillian, fast worker. But I'll have to check him out, you know. I get final approval. Can we do over my room?" Carly asked again.
"Yes, yes. But I've watched enough home makeover shows to know you've got to gut the place first."
"I've got a bunch of ideas."
"I do too. Like you doing all your laundry, because I ain't touchin' it."
"Okay, if you promise that no matter what I come up with for my room you'll do it."
"How about no matter what you come up with I'll look it over and make sure it works, and you'll do your laundry no matter what."
"Deal." Carly slurped up the rest of her mocha and popped off the kitchen stool. "I've got math homework, but I can do that fast. I'll stick
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