Just as Long as We're Together by Judy Blume Read Free Book Online

Mr. Kravitz finally said, "I'd really like to spend more time chatting with you but I've got work to do here."
    "Well. . . it's been very nice meeting you, Mr. Kravitz," Rachel said.
    "Same here," Alison said.
    "Likewise," Mr. Kravitz said, from inside another cabinet.
    • The three of us went outside and ran down to the pond. "Can you believe Jeremy Dragon sleeps in my old room?"
    "Too bad you didn't sell your house with the furniture," Rachel said. "Then he'd be sleeping in your bed!"
    The idea of Jeremy Dragon sleeping in my bed made me feel funny all over.
    "You're blushing, Steph!" Alison said. "Your face is purple!" Rachel sang. "Excuse me," I said, walking between them~ "I think I need to cool off." I went down to the edge of the pond and waded into the water, scaring the ducks, who paddled out of my way.
    Rachel yelled, "Steph. . . what are you doing?"
    And Alison called, "Steph. . . come out!"
    "It feels great!" I sang, splashing around. "Come on in. .
    "Stephanie!" Rachel shouted, "it's not a swimming pond!"
    "So.. . who's swimming?"
    They couldn't believe I'd gone into the pond with all my clothes on. Neither could my mother, who happened to be in the kitchen when I came home. "Stephanie. . . what on earth?"
    "I didn't mean to get wet," I told her. "It just happened."
    12.
    Dad's Laugh.
    Dad called from Hawaii. "Are the waves huge?" I asked.
    "I haven't had a chance to get to the beach."
    "Dad . . . how can you be in Hawaii and not get to the beach?"
    "I'm here to work, Steph."
    "I know . . . but still . . ."
    "I'll try to get to the beach tomorrow . okay?"
    "Okay. And send us some of that peanut brittle
    the kind with macadamia nuts."
    "I don't think peanut brittle is good for your braces."
    "Well, then . . . send shells from the beach
    •      or sand."
    "I'll try," Dad said. "So what's new at home?" I told him about our first dead mouse. "Mom
    found him in the cabinet under the sink. . . she
    •      practically fainted . . . so I lifted him out by his tail. . . dropped him into a Baggie.. . and tossed him in the trash can."
    Dad laughed. I love to make him laugh. When he does he opens his mouth wide and you can see his gold fillings. "Wait. . . I'm not finished," I said, "because after I tossed him in the trash I forgot to put the bunjie cords back on the can
    so that night the raccoons got into it and made a mess! So guess who had to clean up... and guess who almost missed the school bus?"
    Dad kept on laughing. I'm definitely best in my family at making him laugh. But we don't get to laugh that much over the phone.
    "So how's the weather?" Dad finally asked.
    "Nice," I told him. "It's getting to be fall."
    13.
    Remarkable Eyes.
    Mrs. Remo wears contact lenses. She's always telling us about them. She got them before school started so she's worn them for two months now. This morning she was rubbing her eye. Then she said, "Oh no. . ." and motioned for us to be quiet. "I think I've lost a contact lens. I need someone to help me find it."
    Hands shot up around the room.
    Eric Macaulay called out, "I've got perfect vision, Mrs. Remo. I'll find it for you."
    "All right, Eric," Mrs. Remo said.
    Eric shoved his chair back so hard it crashed into my desk, knocking over my books, which I had stacked like a pyramid. He raced up to the front of the room.
    "Be careful where you step, Eric," Mrs. Remo said. "The lens is very fragile. I hope it's fallen onto my desk, not the floor."
    But Eric didn't even bother to look on Mrs. Remo's desk. He stood right up close to her and seemed to be examining her dress, which was a dark green knit, with short sleeves. He didn't touch her, but the way he stared must have made her uncomfortable because she laughed nervously and said, "What are you doing, Eric?"
    "Trying to find your lens," Eric said, "so please don't move."
    I would have been very embarrassed to have Eric Macaulay examine me that closely, especially across my chest.
    But then, halfway between Mrs. Remo's left