The Kissing Diary Read Online Free PDF Page A

mother continued. “Sam didn’t call when he said he would, and by Saturday I hadn’t heard from him, and … I was upset and I took it out on you.” She sighed.
    â€œIt’s scary, Mom.”
    â€œYou’re scary,” said Jimmy. “Is there any more mac and cheese?”
    Mrs. Goldglitt jumped up, despite Rosie’s telling him to get it himself. “What’s scary?”
    â€œYou sound like me,” said Rosie, forming an R for Robbie with the remainder of the noodles on her plate.
    â€œI’m back in the dating game,” said her mother. “Which means I’m back in high school all over again.”
    Rosie took her fork and wrecked the letter she’d formed. What was she thinking, anyway? “I’ve been upset the whole week because someone won’t talk to me.”
    Her mother was a good listener when she wasn’t feeling stressed. “Who?” she said, giving Rosie her undivided attention.
    â€œRemember that guy Robbie I told you about? The one I’m taller than?”
    Her mother nodded.
    Rosie told her the story about scaring Robbie in the bushes.
    â€œHe screamed?” said Jimmy, smirking. He coughed, saying “Loser” under his breath.
    â€œLook who’s talking! You screamed at the last scary movie we saw, and couldn’t go to sleep without the lights on for days!” It was sad how she couldn’t stop herself from defending Robbie.
    â€œThat was years ago,” said Jimmy, digging into the second helping on his plate.
    Rosie continued. “We scared him to death, and he fell over backward, and all I said was, ‘We’re sorry we frightened you,’ and he got furious at me and hasn’t talked to me since.”
    â€œI see,” said her mother, pursing her lips.
    â€œYou see what?”
    â€œShe sees that he’s a baby for screaming, and she sees that he’s a clumsy geek for falling over.” Jimmy stood up and uttered a high-pitched sound, falling over backward onto the kitchen floor.
    â€œIgnore him,” said Mrs. Goldglitt, trying hard not to smile. “Jimmy, get off the floor. It hasn’t been washed in a year.”
    Rosie waited while her mother took a container out of the freezer. “Does anyone want some?” she said, scooping some mocha chip ice cream into a bowl. “I haven’t learned much,” she said, “but here’s what I know. Never ask a man if you’ve scared him, Rosie. Particularly if he’s a caveman type, or under the age of twenty-one. He’ll think you’re calling him a wimp.”
    â€œThat’s it?” said Rosie, exasperated. “I was afraid he’d hurt himself, falling over like that, and he thinks I’m calling him a wimp?”
    â€œIt’s that male mentality,” said Mrs. Goldglitt, reading the back of the container. “One hundred fifty calories for half a cup? That’s one spoonful, isn’t it?” She shoved the ice cream back into the freezer and took out the chocolate syrup.
    â€œWhy does it matter if he’s under twenty-one?” said Rosie.
    â€œHe’s young,” said her mother, squirting syrup on her dish of ice cream so that it made a terrible sound.
    Jimmy started hooting and slapping his thigh.
    â€œSee what I mean?” said their mother, laughing. “They’re young and immature, and their self-esteem is shaky. Boys that age are so full of pride that you can’t insult their manhood. And he might take after his father,” she added, “who I happen to know is a Neanderthal.”
    â€œHow do you know?” said Rosie curiously. “You met his father?”
    â€œYears ago,” said her mother. She changed the subject abruptly. “Make me work out after I eat this ice cream.”
    â€œCan I have some?” said Jimmy. “It might help my low self-esteem.”
    â€œIt will help you even more if you get it