don't hate them anymore.
"Now I like them. My father was really nice when I told him about the gerbil problem. I suppose having all
this psychiatric counseling helped me adjust to my parents."
Anastasia yawned. "And, of course, there were the hormones. But my hormones are gone, all of a sudden.
"First, the gerbils disappeared," she told Freud, yawning again, "and then the hormones did. Life is just one weird surprise after another."
8
Anastasia trudged home from school with Meredith, Sonya, and Daphne.
"What do you guys want to do this weekend?" she asked her friends. "Go to the movies?"
"I want to hang out at McDonald's," said Daphne. "This guy in the ninth grade—Eddie Wolf—works there weekends. He's
gorgeous
."
"DAPHNE," said Anastasia grouchily, "You're becoming very boring. All you're interested in is guys."
"I told you," Sonya said. "It's Stage Two of Adolescence. It's normal."
"Well, it's
boring,
" said Anastasia.
Meredith made a snowball and threw it at a tree. "Guess what," she said. "I don't think it's boring. I think I'm entering Stage Two myself. I'll go to McDonald's with you, Daph."
"Not me," said Sonya. "I have to work on my Science Project. It's due in three weeks."
Anastasia kicked a chunk of snow. "Mine's just about done, but it isn't any good. I'm probably going to flunk."
"You can't flunk," Daphne pointed out. "Projects for the Science Fair are extra-credit. You don't even have to do one.
I'm
not doing one. I don't have time."
"Yeah, because you're always out chasing guys," said Anastasia. "Here's my street," she added. "I'll see you. Call me if you want to go to the movies." She waved, and turned the corner toward her house.
"Hi, Anastasia!" Sam greeted her as she came through the back door. "Guess what? Nicky Coletti didn't come to nursery school today, so I had all the blocks to myself!"
Anastasia hung her jacket in the back hall. She sat down to unlace her snowy boots. "That's nice, Sam. Hi, Mom. Did you have a good day today?"
Her mother was at the kitchen counter, peeling potatoes. Her back was turned. "No," she said, without looking around. "I did not."
Oh, great, thought Anastasia. Her mother was in a bad mood. Best to ignore her for a while; maybe it would go away.
"Whoops!" said Sam. "I almost forgot. Mom, my nursery school teacher sent you a note. It's here, in my pocket." He reached into his jeans and took out a piece of paper.
Mrs. Krupnik turned. Her face was very mad. "My hands are wet," she said. "Read it to me, Anastasia."
Anastasia unfolded the paper and read it aloud.
"Dear Early Learning Center Parents," she read. "One of our children, Nicky Coletti, has had an unfortunate accident and will be out of school for six weeks, with both legs broken. I'm sure the Coletti family would appreciate cards or small gifts, to make Nicky's convalescence easier."
Anastasia looked up. "Then it tells the Colettis' address," she added.
Sam had a broad grin. "Six weeks?" he said gleefully. "I don't get bashed over the head for six weeks?"
"Sure sounds that way," said Anastasia. "I wonder how she broke her legs."
"Probably kicking somebody," suggested Sam.
"Maybe climbing up someplace to smash a cookie jar," said Mrs. Krupnik, who was still upset about their blue cookie jar, which she had loved.
"I bet her father is a Mafia person," said Anastasia. "And he finally got mad and broke both her legs."
"We're being terrible," said Mrs. Krupnik, wiping her damp hands on a paper towel. "It's a shame, to have a child injured. I suppose we ought to send a card."
"A present," said Sam. "I'm going to send big fat ugly Nicky Coletti a present. I'm going to send her dog poop!"
"
Sam,
" said his mother sternly. "That's not nice."
Sam pouted. "I am," he muttered under his breath. "I'm going to send her a whole lot of smelly dog poop."
Mrs. Krupnik had gotten her angry face back. "Listen, you two," she said. "I've been waiting for you to come home, Anastasia, because I have something
"Now I like them. My father was really nice when I told him about the gerbil problem. I suppose having all
this psychiatric counseling helped me adjust to my parents."
Anastasia yawned. "And, of course, there were the hormones. But my hormones are gone, all of a sudden.
"First, the gerbils disappeared," she told Freud, yawning again, "and then the hormones did. Life is just one weird surprise after another."
8
Anastasia trudged home from school with Meredith, Sonya, and Daphne.
"What do you guys want to do this weekend?" she asked her friends. "Go to the movies?"
"I want to hang out at McDonald's," said Daphne. "This guy in the ninth grade—Eddie Wolf—works there weekends. He's
gorgeous
."
"DAPHNE," said Anastasia grouchily, "You're becoming very boring. All you're interested in is guys."
"I told you," Sonya said. "It's Stage Two of Adolescence. It's normal."
"Well, it's
boring,
" said Anastasia.
Meredith made a snowball and threw it at a tree. "Guess what," she said. "I don't think it's boring. I think I'm entering Stage Two myself. I'll go to McDonald's with you, Daph."
"Not me," said Sonya. "I have to work on my Science Project. It's due in three weeks."
Anastasia kicked a chunk of snow. "Mine's just about done, but it isn't any good. I'm probably going to flunk."
"You can't flunk," Daphne pointed out. "Projects for the Science Fair are extra-credit. You don't even have to do one.
I'm
not doing one. I don't have time."
"Yeah, because you're always out chasing guys," said Anastasia. "Here's my street," she added. "I'll see you. Call me if you want to go to the movies." She waved, and turned the corner toward her house.
"Hi, Anastasia!" Sam greeted her as she came through the back door. "Guess what? Nicky Coletti didn't come to nursery school today, so I had all the blocks to myself!"
Anastasia hung her jacket in the back hall. She sat down to unlace her snowy boots. "That's nice, Sam. Hi, Mom. Did you have a good day today?"
Her mother was at the kitchen counter, peeling potatoes. Her back was turned. "No," she said, without looking around. "I did not."
Oh, great, thought Anastasia. Her mother was in a bad mood. Best to ignore her for a while; maybe it would go away.
"Whoops!" said Sam. "I almost forgot. Mom, my nursery school teacher sent you a note. It's here, in my pocket." He reached into his jeans and took out a piece of paper.
Mrs. Krupnik turned. Her face was very mad. "My hands are wet," she said. "Read it to me, Anastasia."
Anastasia unfolded the paper and read it aloud.
"Dear Early Learning Center Parents," she read. "One of our children, Nicky Coletti, has had an unfortunate accident and will be out of school for six weeks, with both legs broken. I'm sure the Coletti family would appreciate cards or small gifts, to make Nicky's convalescence easier."
Anastasia looked up. "Then it tells the Colettis' address," she added.
Sam had a broad grin. "Six weeks?" he said gleefully. "I don't get bashed over the head for six weeks?"
"Sure sounds that way," said Anastasia. "I wonder how she broke her legs."
"Probably kicking somebody," suggested Sam.
"Maybe climbing up someplace to smash a cookie jar," said Mrs. Krupnik, who was still upset about their blue cookie jar, which she had loved.
"I bet her father is a Mafia person," said Anastasia. "And he finally got mad and broke both her legs."
"We're being terrible," said Mrs. Krupnik, wiping her damp hands on a paper towel. "It's a shame, to have a child injured. I suppose we ought to send a card."
"A present," said Sam. "I'm going to send big fat ugly Nicky Coletti a present. I'm going to send her dog poop!"
"
Sam,
" said his mother sternly. "That's not nice."
Sam pouted. "I am," he muttered under his breath. "I'm going to send her a whole lot of smelly dog poop."
Mrs. Krupnik had gotten her angry face back. "Listen, you two," she said. "I've been waiting for you to come home, Anastasia, because I have something
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