Just as Long as We're Together Read Online Free PDF Page B

apiece?" I said.
    Jeremy and his two friends looked at me. So did Craig.
    "Aren't you supposed to be filing?" Craig asked. "In a minute," I told him and hoped that he
    would go do something else. When he still didn't get the hint I said, "I'll take care of this, Craig." I've heard Mom say that to him lots of times.
    Finally Craig got the message and said, "Oh . . ." and he excused himself to go back to the desk where he'd been working.
    "You should try the Ivory Coast," I said to Jeremy, handing him a brochure. "And Thailand
    • . . that's a good one." I handed him that brochure, too. "I also recommend Alaska . . and then there's Brazil." Each time I handed Jeremy Dragon a brochure our fingers touched and I got a tingly feeling up my arm.
    "We're doing a project on marketing and advertising," Jeremy said, "not on travel."
    "Oh," I said, as his friends helped themselves to more than five brochures apiece. Then I quickly added, "If you ever do want to plan a trip this is the best travel agency in town. My mother owns it so I should know."
    "We'll keep that in mind," Jeremy said. He kind of waved as he went out the door.
    "My name is Stephanie," I called after him. But he didn't hear me.
    I couldn't wait to tell Rachel and Alison about my morning.
    9.
    Gena Farrell.
    Here's what we bought for Alison's room: two lamp shades, one comforter, a set of flowered sheets, four throw pillows, three posters and one box of push pins.
    We shopped all over town, walking from store to store, until my feet ached. Rachel said it was important to see everything available before making a decision. She took notes on what we saw, and where. I hoped we'd run into Jeremy Dragon again but we didn't. Eventually we wound up where we started, at Bed and Bath. I couldn't believe how Alison just bought whatever she wanted. Even though the sheets and the throw pillows were on sale, they were still very expen
    sive. Alison charged everything on her mother's American Express card.
    "You mean she just gave you her credit card . . ." I asked, "just like that?"
    "She trusts me," Alison said.
    "I know, but still . . ." I said. "Did she tell you how much you could spend?"
    "We talked about what I needed," Alison said. "At least you got some of it on sale," Rachel said. "My mother buys everything on sale. And you got very good things. It pays to buy the best because it lasts longer."
    I don't necessarily agree with that. Take my flowered sweatshirt. If I had bought the expensive kind I'd be stuck with it as long as it fit. But I bought the rip-off sweatshirt which only cost half as much so when it fell apart in the wash after a couple of months I didn't mind.
    "Let's meet tomorrow morning at my house," Alison said, "around eleven. And you guys can help me fix up my room.. . okay?"
    "Sure," I said.
    "I'm going to visit my grandmother in the morning," Rachel said, "but I should be back around noon."
    Rachel's grandmother had a stroke last spring. Once, I went with her family to the nursing home, but I got really upset because Rachel's grandmother couldn't walk or talk. Rachel says
    her grandmother understands everything they say and someday she may even be able to speak again. I don't know. I hope that never happens to Gran Lola or Papa Jack. It would be too sad.
    On Sunday morning I got to Alison's house right on the dot of eleven. I rang the bell and a woman opened the door. She was wearing jeans and that red and white T-shirt Alison had been wearing on the day that we met. She looked very familiar.
    "Hello," she said, "I'm Alison's mother. Are you Stephanie?"
    "Yes."
    "Alison's in her room. You can go on up. . ." I started up the stairs. Then Alison's mother called, "Thanks for helping Alison find such beautiful things yesterday."
    I stopped and turned at the landing, looking down at her. I know who she looks like, I thought. She looks like Gena Farrell, the TV star.
    I went to Alison's room. She was unrolling her
    posters and laying them out on the floor.