Forever by Judy Blume Page B

when they’re going to get married and exactly when Baby One and
     Baby Two will be born. They’ve even picked out names. Sometimes, on Sundays, they
     go looking at houses, and at lunch on Monday Janis will tell us they know just where
     they want to live seven years from now. They make life seem so dull.
    Lately, avoiding Janis and Mark has been tricky. She knows I’m going
     with Michael and wants to meet him. We’re in modern dance together and Janis is
     always after me to make plans for us to go out together. I’m running out of
     excuses. Maybe it’s selfish, but I don’t want to waste a night with Michael
     by spending it with them. She must be really dense not to get the picture.

    That night Michael called right after dinner. “Can I come
     over . . . just for a little while?”
    â€œI have to finish a paper on Somerset Maugham,” I told
     him.
    â€œI’ll only stay an hour. I miss you,
     Kath.”
    â€œI miss you too,” I whispered.
    â€œSee you in a little while.”
    â€œOkay.”
    I raced upstairs and took a shower and shampoo. If I don’t wash my
     hair at least every other day it gets oily and looks terrible. I put on a fresh pair of
     jeans and a sweatshirt.
    â€œI brought my books,” Michael said, after we’d kissed
     hello.
    â€œGood . . . because if I don’t get this paper
     in by Friday I’m going to fail. We can work at the kitchen table.”
    As soon as we got our books arranged Jamie wandered in. “I want a
     pretzel,” she said.
    â€œTake the box and please leave,” I told her.
    â€œOkay . . . okay . . .”
    A few minutes later she was back. “They made me
     thirsty . . . I need some juice.”
    â€œJamie . . .”
    â€œOkay . . . I can take a hint.”
    â€œIt’s not that we don’t want you in here,” Michael
     told her. “It’s just that we have a lot of studying to do.”
    â€œSure.”
    At 10:00 Michael gathered his books and I walked him out to his car.
     “Get in for a minute,” he said.
    We put our arms around each other and kissed. “I don’t know
     how I can last until Friday,” Michael said. “I can’t think of anything
     else.”
    â€œMe neither.”
    We kissed again.
    Like my mother said, you can’t go back to holding hands and anyway,
     I don’t want to.

14
    â€œThere’s no school on Friday,” Erica said. We were in
     the locker room, changing into our gymsuits.
    â€œI know . . . some kind of special teacher’s
     meeting.”
    â€œSo you want to see a preview of a new Robert Redford
     picture?”
    â€œAre you kidding? I’d love to!”
    â€œWe’re taking the 8:45 train.”
    â€œI’ll meet you at the station.”
    â€œNo . . . we can pick you up . . . say
     around 8:30.”
    â€œGreat . . . and tell your mother thanks for asking
     me.”

    When I got home from school I found a small package in the mail, from
     my grandmother. As I ripped it open I wondered if it could be a birthday present two
     weeks early. As soon as I saw what was inside I knew it wasn’t. First I read the
     note.
    Â 
    Dear Kath,
    I hear that you and Michael are officially going together. Thought these might come in handy. And remember, if
     you ever need to talk, I’m available. I don’t judge, I just
     advise.
    Love,
    Grandma
    Â 
    I pulled out a whole bunch of pamphlets from Planned Parenthood on birth
     control, abortion and venereal disease.
    At first I was angry. Grandma is jumping to conclusions again, I thought.
     But then I sat down and started to read. It turned out she had sent me a lot of valuable
     information. Could my mother have put her up to it?
    I went to the phone and dialed her office.
    â€œGross, Gross and Gross . . . Good