"BSC034 - Mary Anne and Too Many Boys - Martin, Ann M" - читать интересную книгу автора (Martin Ann M)

"Something special?" I ventured. I was starving and hoped she hadn't made one of her famous tofu casseroles.
"Something you both like," Sharon said, stopping to put an arm around me. "Spinach lasagna, tossed salad, and Italian bread."
"That sounds great!" I breathed a sigh of relief.
"And for dessert," she went on, "Tofu Delight!"
It was nearly seven o'clock when we got to the airport, and I could tell Dawn was feeling a little nervous about her flight to California. She checked her purse three times to make sure she had her ticket, while the four of us strolled up and down the long concourse.
"Did you bring some snacks for the trip?" I asked her.
"Of course." Dawn grinned and patted her canyon bag. "An apple, some dates, and two granola bars. Plus they give you something to eat on the plane."
"Something cardboard," Sharon said crisply.
"No," Dawn laughed. "Something edible. I
checked." She paused and looked at me. "I left that new mystery book on your dresser for you to read. And if you want to take any of my tapes to Sea City, they're in the shoe box in my closet."
I smiled. Dawn and I don't usually have the same taste in music, but it was a nice thought. "Thanks," I said slowly. I was surprised to find that my voice was a little quavery. It was crazy, but I was already starting to miss Dawn.
Maybe she felt the same way, because she looked at me very seriously. "I wish you were coming with me, Mary Anne. You'd love California."
I shrugged. "I'll have my hands full with all those Pike kids in Sea City."
She smiled. "I know, but remember not to work all the time. Take some time out to have fun."
Dawn's flight was announced then, and Sharon enveloped Dawn in a big hug. "Are you sure you have everything?" she asked for the dozenth time. "Tickets, money ..."
"Everything, Mom," Dawn told her. They looked amazingly alike. Blonde, blue-eyed, and pretty.
Dad hugged Dawn then, even though I think he felt shy about doing it. Dad always feels a little uncomfortable around kids, prob-
ably because I am his only child and the two of us lived alone for so many years.
Dawn turned to me with her arms outstretched, and the tears welled up in my eyes. "Oh, Dawn, I'm really going to miss you!" I blurted out.
"Me, too," she said awkwardly, patting my back. "I just hate good-byes." She pulled away to look at me and I saw that her eyes were misty. "Don't make me cry, okay? I can't get on that plane with mascara dribbling down my cheeks!"
"Okay," I said, sniffling a little. I was trying hard to be brave, but deep down, I felt like bawling. I couldn't believe I was losing my stepsister for two whole weeks.
"Send lots of postcards!" Dawn called as she headed toward the gate. "And tell me everything!"
"I will," I promised. I dabbed at my eyes with a tissue.
"She'll be back before you know it," Dad said consolingly.
I nodded, afraid I would start crying again. Suddenly two weeks seemed like two years.
It was impossible to sleep that night. I tossed and turned, thumped the pillow, and tried to imagine what Dawn would do when she
reached California. I pictured her having lemonade with Jeff and her father. Maybe they were relaxing outside on a big wraparound deck. Dawn told me her father has a really cool house with terra-cotta floors and skylights in almost all the rooms. Plus they have a housekeeper, so she doesn't have to worry about kitchen duty.
Then I started thinking about my trip to Sea City in the morning. I went through a checklist of everything I needed to take. And then I started thinking of all the things the Pikes would need to take for eight kids. Try to imagine it. Pails, shovels, beach blankets, and bathing suits, plus tons of rainy-day toys for kids of all different ages. Just thinking about it must have made me tired, because the next thing I knew, I had buried my face in my pillow and fallen sound asleep.
"Mary Anne, we're going to be late!" "I'm coming, Dad. Just one more hug." I crouched down so Tigger and I were on eye level (he was stretched out on the sofa) and kissed the top of his head. I couldn't stand to say good-bye to him.
"We'll take good care of him," Sharon promised.
"I know you will." Sharon isn't exactly a cat fan, but I think Tigger is growing on her.
After I hugged Sharon good-bye, Dad dropped me off at the Pikes'. Yow, another good-bye, I thought as he set my gear on their driveway.
"Take care of yourself, honey/' Dad said. I wasn't sure, but I thought he hugged me extra tightly, since I was going to be gone for a long time. I got through this last good-bye pretty easily, though, because Claire, Margo, and Nicky Pike all came barreling out of the garage, carrying suitcases.
"Come on, Mary Anne-silly-billy-goo-goo," Claire said. "It's time to go!" Claire is the youngest Pike and is going through an incredibly silly stage.
I helped load both cars (the Pikes always take two station wagons to Sea City) and at the very last minute, Stacey arrived with her mother. Stacey's mother looked a little sad and I knew she was going to miss her. Stacey is her only child, just like I'm Dad's only child. But Mrs. McGill would be alone for the next two weeks, while my dad would have Sharon and Tigger.
We finally straightened out who was going in which car. (I was going with Mrs. Pike,
Vanessa, and the triplets, and Stacey was going with Mr. Pike, Mallory, Claire, Margo, and Nicky.)
We were just pulling out of the driveway when Vanessa yelled, "Wait a minute. We forgot Frodo!"
Mrs. Pike turned around to smile at her. Frodo is the Pikes' pet hamster. "Vanessa, Jes-si's taking care of him at her house, remember?" Jessi has a hamster of her own named Misty, so she'd know how to look after Frodo.
"Oh, yeah." Vanessa settled back, sighing with relief.
"Now if there are no more problems, it's Ч "
Right on cue, the triplets sprang to life. "Sea City, here we come!"
Chapter 3.
Do you know exactly how many words rhyme with cat? I do. Vanessa used every single one of them during our trip to the beach. Vanessa is nine years old and wants to be a poet. I should say, she is a poet, because she is always making up poems. And you know what? It must be contagious, because now I find myself doing the same thing when I'm around her!
We were only a few miles out of Stoneybrook when it started. Vanessa and I were riding in the front seat with Mrs. Pike, and the triplets were bouncing around in the back. The triplets, in case you don't know, are named Adam, Jordan, and Byron, and they are ten years old.
"Can we stop for donuts?" Adam yelled. "There's a place right up ahead."
"Certainly not," Mrs. Pike said. "We'll stop at Howard Johnson's at the halfway point like we always do."
"Oh, Mom . . ." Adam whined. "We're starving."
"Adam, don't be a pest. It's all for the best." Vanessa looked very pleased with herself.
Oh, no. Here we go, I thought. "Come on, Adam. You can hold out for another hour or so," I said encouragingly.