My First Love and Other Disasters Read Online Free PDF Page A

looking at them, but it seemed that they were always crying about something. Both of them. They would just burst into tears for nothing. All you had to say was, “David, it’s too late to watch TV,” or just disagree with him about any little thing, and boom, he would start bawling. It was truly horrific since neither of them are babies. David’s almost eightnow and DeeDee is five. It could really upset you, except I knew that it was a reaction to what was happening so I tried to be extra nice. I felt bad for them.
    Divorce is such a scary thing. I don’t know how you feel, but anytime my parents have an argument I practically hold my breath. I guess divorce is the worst thing next to something horrible happening, like one of them dying. (I’m very superstitious. I have to knock wood when I even think something awful like that.) Just the thought of my father moving away and my mother not loving him, maybe even hating him, makes my stomach sink.
    Cynthia hates Jed—that’s her ex-husband. He moved to California and he hardly sees the kids anymore. When they broke up, people were saying he was playing around with Cynthia’s best friend, Amy. I don’t know all the juice. All I know is that Amy didn’t leave her husband to run off with Jed, but Charlie the doorman (he knows everything) says Cynthia doesn’t talk to Amy anymore, and he says they were practically like sisters. Like Steffi and me, I guess.
    It’s a funny thing, but I used to think they had a fabulous marriage and I used to baby-sit a lot for them, so I knew what they were like together. It really looked fantastic, I mean they hardly everargued, and mostly they helped each other and did things together even, like cooking. He liked to mess around in the kitchen and make bread and things like that. I don’t know. I even used to hope that my husband (if I ever get married, which I’ll probably do when I’m about twenty-seven or so, but I want a career and I want to live with a few people first so I can make the right choice) would be a lot like Jed.
    Ugh! He turned out to be such a creep. I don’t blame Cynthia for hating him. But that’s what makes me so nervous. Not that my parents fight a lot, because they don’t. But neither did Cynthia and Jed, and look what happened to them. You can’t ever tell what’s really going on with your parents. One day they could just come in and announce that it’s over, for some dumb reason, like they’re incompatible or unfulfilled, and that’s that. I mean, there’s nothing in the world you can do about it. It’s not like a Disney movie where the kids come up with some outrageous plan and then in the end they get the parents back together again. Baloney. It never happens.
    Like with Steffi’s parents. Everything was great, and then they got a divorce and it looked like there wasn’t even a reason. Steffi said there absolutely wasn’t anyone else involved, and she and her brother did all sorts of things to try to get themback together, but it didn’t make any difference. They had made up their minds. Kids never really have anything to say about family things like that. Whatever your parents decide, no matter how gross or how much it hurts you, forget it, they get to make the decision and that’s that. I don’t think it’s fair at all. But a lot that counts! I mean what a kid thinks.
    Anyway, David and DeeDee seem to be pretty okay now. I guess they’ll get it together, but still I feel bad for them. I would just love to be their mother’s helper for the summer, and I know Cynthia really wants me to be. I get the shivers just thinking about how sensational it would be living on Fire Island this summer. Not only would I be near Jim, but I’d be practically living on my own. Sure I’d have to take care of the kids, but I don’t mind that, and then on my time off I’d be on my