Starting with Melodie by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Author:Susan Beth Pfeffer
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781497682757
Publisher: Open Road Media

Chapter 7

“Want to come shopping with me?” Melodie asked me after school on Thursday. She sounded almost shy.

“I’d love to,” I said. “What are we shopping for?”

“Lissa’s birthday is in a couple of weeks,” Melodie said, and we started walking toward the shopping mall. “With everything that’s been going on, I haven’t even thought about what to get her.”

“I can’t believe she’ll actually be eight,” I said. “I remember when she was born.”

“I stayed at your house that night,” Melodie said. “It was the first time I ever did.”

“We’d just gotten to be friends,” I said. “You didn’t want to sleep at all that night. You kept slipping over to the telephone, waiting for it to ring.”

“The twins teased me so much,” Melodie said. “And I decided I wanted anything, just as long as it wasn’t a brother.”

“I told you you didn’t want a brother,” I said. “That was the first thing I ever really said to you. Boy, was I happy when you had a baby sister.”

“I was so happy then,” Melodie said. “Listen to me. I’m fifteen years old, and I’m going around reminiscing about the good old days.”

“Well, these days aren’t so good,” I said. “I guess it’s natural.”

“These days are awful,” she said. I waited for her to continue. Melodie laughed. “You look so tragic,” she said. “Have I been that awful lately?”

I nodded.

“Poor Elaine,” she said. “I know it isn’t your problem.”

“It is, too,” I said. “If you’re my best friend then it’s my problem, too. I don’t like seeing you so unhappy.”

“Today I’ll be happy,” she promised. “Shopping for Lissa always makes me happy.”

“Mom’s birthday is coming up next month, too,” I said. “I should look for something for her while I’m here.”

“I got her a book by Carl Sagan,” Melodie said. “Doris has been so nice to me lately, I want to get her something. And Sagan believes in life in outer space, too, so I figured she’d like the book.”

“I don’t believe you already have a present for my mother,” I said. “I haven’t gotten anything for Lissa yet.”

“I saw the book and it made me think of her,” Melodie said. “It’s just a paperback. It’s no big deal.”

“Maybe I’ll get her a hardback of the same book,” I said. “Then she’ll know which one of us loves her more.”

Melodie laughed again. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d heard her laugh twice in a minute. Maybe that was my fault. I might not have been as funny as usual with Melodie. You never knew when humor would be welcome, though.

“Let’s start with the toy shop,” Melodie said when we got to the mall. “And then if there’s nothing there, we’ll get ice cream sundaes.”

“What if there is something there?” I asked.

“We’ll get sundaes, anyway,” she said. “If your teeth can stand the corruption.”

“Do you know Mom gave me a traveling toothbrush and a little container of toothpaste?” I asked, trying not to sound shrill. “For me to use whenever I visit Steve’s mother.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.