Abby's Un-Valentine by Ann M. Martin

Author:Ann M. Martin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2015-07-30T16:00:00+00:00

* * *

Holding Emily Michelle on one hip, I followed Kristy into the family room. Andrew was lying on his stomach on the floor, talking softly to Scout as he put a puzzle together. Karen and David Michael were staging some kind of drama involving Karen’s dollhouse, their combined sets of toy farm animals, Pumpkin, and Shannon.

I sneezed.

Kristy said, “If we sit on the stairs, we can keep an eye on things, and you won’t be in the same room with all the animals.”

“Good idea,” I agreed.

We each claimed a step and settled down.

“Poor Andrew,” Kristy said softly. “He’s such a, well, kid.”

“A little boy,” I agreed.

“Don’t let him hear you say that,” she warned me with a smile.

“I know.” I smiled back. Then I sighed.

“Boys,” I said.

“Tell me about it.” Kristy groaned.

“Valentine’s Day,” I added.

“When everyone’s brain turns the same consistency as those soft-centered chocolates,” Kristy said.

“You know, I didn’t ask Ross to like me,” I said. “So why does everyone act as if I did something wrong when I told him no?”

Maybe I was overstating the case a little, but not much.

“Couples want other people to be in couples too,” Kristy said. “Mary Anne, for instance, is happy with Logan, and she wants other people to have that. Especially her friends.”

Aha! A rare moment of insight from Kristy Thomas, I thought. Aloud I said, “You don’t have to be part of a couple to be happy.”

“I know that, and you know that, but some people have a lot of growing up to do before they figure it out,” Kristy said.

We were silent for a moment. Then, to my surprise, Kristy said, “Letting Ross know that you don’t want to go out with him was the right thing to do, Abby.”

“You think so?” I leaned back and stared at the ceiling.

“I know it. When I started sort of seeing Bart, it was because he was a good friend and I felt comfortable with him. But I think I knew all along that I was never going to, you know, feel romantic about him or anything.”

“But you went to a dance with him. You did date stuff with him.”

With a shrug, Kristy said, “Because it was easy to do. I mean, we did things with Mary Anne and Logan. Stacey and Claudia and even Jessi and Mal seemed to think it was great, so I … took the easy way out. And when I realized that I didn’t want to be more than friends with Bart, he wasn’t happy. I didn’t just lose a date — I might have lost a friend too. I mean, he and I are still awfully careful around each other, not like real friends. And that’s what really bothers me.”

I stared at Kristy. She stared back, then made a goofy face.

I smiled. “Thanks,” I said. I meant, thanks for talking about this, thanks for telling me, thanks for making me feel better. And, of course, thanks for being a friend.

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