and each one is whiter than the next.”
“But what about Grandma?” says Mandy.
“Well, you know, Little Red wasn’t thinking about Grandma right then as she leaned in close to get a better look at the wolf’s big grinning mouth. She was thinking that this might just be the best-looking mouth she’d ever seen, and a girl could do worse than to spend some time in the company of a mouth like that. But just at that moment, she heard a banging from inside the closet. And she stopped and thought of Grandma. Then she remembered that the wolf might be more handsome than the devil, but he was still a wolf, and every girl knows that there’s only one way to treat a wolf.”
“Did she shoot him?” gasps my bloodthirsty sister hopefully.
“No, though he did deserve it, but that would have got Little Red into a whole mess of trouble, and most times, the best way to deal with a wolf is just to call his bluff – because that’s all he’s doing. That cool doesn’t go very deep, and if you don’t let it fool you and you let him know you aren’t fooled, well, he’ll either change his ways to hold on to you, or he’ll turn tail and run.”
“So, what did she do?” I ask.
“She told the wolf to get his sorry butt out of her grandma’s bed and let her grandma out of the closet. Then she said that if he ever hoped to get with her, he would have to do at least a year of yard work for her grandma for free. And that was just for starters.”
“Did he do it?” Mandy asks.
“I don’t know,” says Angie, looking at me. “I think your sister needs to finish this story.”
“But I don’t know how it ends,” I say.
“Then the story stays unfinished until you do,” says Angie.
“I’m never going to hear the end,” says Mandy. I can’t help but agree with her, but I keep my mouth shut.
“Don’t give up on your sister, sweetie,” says Angie confidently. “Sisters always come through. Sometimes it just takes awhile.”
“Jeez, Angie,” I groan. “Put it on a Hallmark card, why don’t you.”
She grins at me and doesn’t look the least bitembarrassed. Then she walks over to the bed and leans in to give Mandy a hug, and Mandy wraps her arms around Angie like she’s the last thing floating in the open ocean during a hurricane. They stay like that long enough for me to wish I’d left the room when the story ended, but just as Mandy pulls away, I get a look at her face and something inside me shifts. A memory of a time when it wasn’t so hard to give a hug – or accept one – flits through my consciousness, too quick for me to grab on to, but I feel the ache of it.
“Let’s go, Emma,” says Angie, walking out of the room. “We’ve got an apology to write.”
“I’m coming,” I say, but I don’t leave right away. I pull Mandy’s blanket up as she rolls over onto her stomach, just as I’ve seen her do every night since forever. Then I go check her AC and fiddle with the temperature for a minute.
“Will you finish the story, Emma?” Her voice comes out muffled from under her blanket.
I walk back over to her and lean down to turn out the bedside lamp. All I can see of her is the top of her head, white blonde hair spilling out across her pillow. I make a move to touch it, but my hand stops inches away. Dad used to do that – ruffle her hair every night before she went to sleep. I pull back, straighten up, and walk to the doorway to turn off the overhead light.
“Have a good sleep, Mandy,” I say, and leave the room.
CHAPTER 9
I ’m lying on the living room couch doing homework, with the TV on in the background, when Mom finally comes home close to midnight. She walks past me and turns off the TV.
“What the heck?” I object.
“You shouldn’t have the TV on when you’re doing homework, and you should sit up properly at a table.” She leans over my notebook. “How can your teachers even read your writing? It’s atrocious.”
“It’s doesn’t matter, Mom. We take it up
“But what about Grandma?” says Mandy.
“Well, you know, Little Red wasn’t thinking about Grandma right then as she leaned in close to get a better look at the wolf’s big grinning mouth. She was thinking that this might just be the best-looking mouth she’d ever seen, and a girl could do worse than to spend some time in the company of a mouth like that. But just at that moment, she heard a banging from inside the closet. And she stopped and thought of Grandma. Then she remembered that the wolf might be more handsome than the devil, but he was still a wolf, and every girl knows that there’s only one way to treat a wolf.”
“Did she shoot him?” gasps my bloodthirsty sister hopefully.
“No, though he did deserve it, but that would have got Little Red into a whole mess of trouble, and most times, the best way to deal with a wolf is just to call his bluff – because that’s all he’s doing. That cool doesn’t go very deep, and if you don’t let it fool you and you let him know you aren’t fooled, well, he’ll either change his ways to hold on to you, or he’ll turn tail and run.”
“So, what did she do?” I ask.
“She told the wolf to get his sorry butt out of her grandma’s bed and let her grandma out of the closet. Then she said that if he ever hoped to get with her, he would have to do at least a year of yard work for her grandma for free. And that was just for starters.”
“Did he do it?” Mandy asks.
“I don’t know,” says Angie, looking at me. “I think your sister needs to finish this story.”
“But I don’t know how it ends,” I say.
“Then the story stays unfinished until you do,” says Angie.
“I’m never going to hear the end,” says Mandy. I can’t help but agree with her, but I keep my mouth shut.
“Don’t give up on your sister, sweetie,” says Angie confidently. “Sisters always come through. Sometimes it just takes awhile.”
“Jeez, Angie,” I groan. “Put it on a Hallmark card, why don’t you.”
She grins at me and doesn’t look the least bitembarrassed. Then she walks over to the bed and leans in to give Mandy a hug, and Mandy wraps her arms around Angie like she’s the last thing floating in the open ocean during a hurricane. They stay like that long enough for me to wish I’d left the room when the story ended, but just as Mandy pulls away, I get a look at her face and something inside me shifts. A memory of a time when it wasn’t so hard to give a hug – or accept one – flits through my consciousness, too quick for me to grab on to, but I feel the ache of it.
“Let’s go, Emma,” says Angie, walking out of the room. “We’ve got an apology to write.”
“I’m coming,” I say, but I don’t leave right away. I pull Mandy’s blanket up as she rolls over onto her stomach, just as I’ve seen her do every night since forever. Then I go check her AC and fiddle with the temperature for a minute.
“Will you finish the story, Emma?” Her voice comes out muffled from under her blanket.
I walk back over to her and lean down to turn out the bedside lamp. All I can see of her is the top of her head, white blonde hair spilling out across her pillow. I make a move to touch it, but my hand stops inches away. Dad used to do that – ruffle her hair every night before she went to sleep. I pull back, straighten up, and walk to the doorway to turn off the overhead light.
“Have a good sleep, Mandy,” I say, and leave the room.
CHAPTER 9
I ’m lying on the living room couch doing homework, with the TV on in the background, when Mom finally comes home close to midnight. She walks past me and turns off the TV.
“What the heck?” I object.
“You shouldn’t have the TV on when you’re doing homework, and you should sit up properly at a table.” She leans over my notebook. “How can your teachers even read your writing? It’s atrocious.”
“It’s doesn’t matter, Mom. We take it up
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