How to Ruin a Summer Vacation (Ruined Series #1) by Simone Elkeles Page B
Authors: Simone Elkeles
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had a brother to teach me to wrestle? Or a sister, for that matter.
"Mutt, you got to help me here."
Mutt is a great sheep herder. I realize this when the animal tries to move. Mutt expertly heads him off and gets him in the corner again.
With a swift move, I hold my weight against the wooly creature and start shearing. There's no rhyme or reason to it, I'm just so happy when the dirty, wooly fur starts flying off.
I hear lots of laughing, some cheering and various directions from Doo-Doo. I don't stop, I'm like a sheep shearing nut gone wild.
I step back and look at the poor animal. Okay, so I haven't done such a hot job. He has a Mohawk hairdo and his body looks like it's a road map. But I did it and I feel victorious.
Until I hear Ron's voice yell, "What the hell is going on here?"
Chapter 17
This roller coaster called life is making me dizzy.
"Amy, we need to talk."
I hate when parents think they can sit down and tell you what you've been doing wrong while they expect you to sit quiet and nod like a bobblehead figurine.
"What do you want?"
Right now I'm sitting outside the house petting Mutt. I'm proud of him, he's a great sheep herder. I can hear Uncle Chime yelling at Snotty inside the house. He didn't look too happy when Ron explained our little competition.
"I want to know what's going on with you," Ron says, sitting next to me.
122
"Nothing," I say.
He places one of his hands on my forearm. "Believe it or not, I want you to be happy. You don't have to shear sheep to prove anything to me."
I shrug his hand off me.
"If you want me to be happy, give me a ticket home right now. I don't belong here," I say. Then I add, "and I don't belong with you."
I don't know why I said it. I knew as the words left my lips it would hurt him. Maybe deep down I want to hurt him for not being there for me the past sixteen years of my life. I keep looking at Mutt and rubbing his tummy so I don't have to look at the disappointment of my life. Fine."
Wait. Did he just say "fine"? I think he did, but the word still doesn't register.
When I look up, Ron's back is to me. He's walking inside the house. My legs are a little numb from having the mutt on my lap for so long, but I scurry to get up and follow him.
When I enter the house, I walk up to him. He's rummaging through his suitcase.
"What did you say?" I ask.
He glances sideways at me before rummaging through his bag again. "I said 'fine,' Amy."
"Fine as in ..."
"As in if you want me out of your life, if that will make you happy, then that's what I want for you." He
123
takes papers out of his suitcase and holds them out to me. "Here's your ticket back to the States."
I hesitate for a moment. Then my hand reaches out and slips the paper out of his extended hand.
A wave of sorrow and confusion makes me freeze. Then I run out of the house and head to the place where Safta and I talked about her love for this place.
Sitting on the edge of the mountain, I think about everything here that I'll leave behind if I go home. Like Matan. Like my aunt and uncle, who I've just met. And Mutt.
But most of all, I want to be here for Safta. I love her, and can't just leave while I know she's going through chemo treatments.
I hug my knees to myself, thinking about this life here in Israel. It's a part of me, but not.
Walking back to the house, I look for Ron. I have to tell him I want to stay here for another reason, too: to find out where I fit into his life. When I see him talking on the phone, I sit on the kitchen chair, waiting.
Ron hands me the phone. "It's your mom. I called her."
"We need to talk, okay," I say to Ron before taking the phone out of his hand.
I watch as he nods, puts his hands in his pockets, and walks outside.
I put the receiver to my ear. "Hello?"
"Amy, are you okay? Ron just told me you want to come home."
124
"I did, but not anymore."
"You've changed your mind?"
"I guess," I say.
I hear her getting out of bed and closing a door. I bet she's
"Mutt, you got to help me here."
Mutt is a great sheep herder. I realize this when the animal tries to move. Mutt expertly heads him off and gets him in the corner again.
With a swift move, I hold my weight against the wooly creature and start shearing. There's no rhyme or reason to it, I'm just so happy when the dirty, wooly fur starts flying off.
I hear lots of laughing, some cheering and various directions from Doo-Doo. I don't stop, I'm like a sheep shearing nut gone wild.
I step back and look at the poor animal. Okay, so I haven't done such a hot job. He has a Mohawk hairdo and his body looks like it's a road map. But I did it and I feel victorious.
Until I hear Ron's voice yell, "What the hell is going on here?"
Chapter 17
This roller coaster called life is making me dizzy.
"Amy, we need to talk."
I hate when parents think they can sit down and tell you what you've been doing wrong while they expect you to sit quiet and nod like a bobblehead figurine.
"What do you want?"
Right now I'm sitting outside the house petting Mutt. I'm proud of him, he's a great sheep herder. I can hear Uncle Chime yelling at Snotty inside the house. He didn't look too happy when Ron explained our little competition.
"I want to know what's going on with you," Ron says, sitting next to me.
122
"Nothing," I say.
He places one of his hands on my forearm. "Believe it or not, I want you to be happy. You don't have to shear sheep to prove anything to me."
I shrug his hand off me.
"If you want me to be happy, give me a ticket home right now. I don't belong here," I say. Then I add, "and I don't belong with you."
I don't know why I said it. I knew as the words left my lips it would hurt him. Maybe deep down I want to hurt him for not being there for me the past sixteen years of my life. I keep looking at Mutt and rubbing his tummy so I don't have to look at the disappointment of my life. Fine."
Wait. Did he just say "fine"? I think he did, but the word still doesn't register.
When I look up, Ron's back is to me. He's walking inside the house. My legs are a little numb from having the mutt on my lap for so long, but I scurry to get up and follow him.
When I enter the house, I walk up to him. He's rummaging through his suitcase.
"What did you say?" I ask.
He glances sideways at me before rummaging through his bag again. "I said 'fine,' Amy."
"Fine as in ..."
"As in if you want me out of your life, if that will make you happy, then that's what I want for you." He
123
takes papers out of his suitcase and holds them out to me. "Here's your ticket back to the States."
I hesitate for a moment. Then my hand reaches out and slips the paper out of his extended hand.
A wave of sorrow and confusion makes me freeze. Then I run out of the house and head to the place where Safta and I talked about her love for this place.
Sitting on the edge of the mountain, I think about everything here that I'll leave behind if I go home. Like Matan. Like my aunt and uncle, who I've just met. And Mutt.
But most of all, I want to be here for Safta. I love her, and can't just leave while I know she's going through chemo treatments.
I hug my knees to myself, thinking about this life here in Israel. It's a part of me, but not.
Walking back to the house, I look for Ron. I have to tell him I want to stay here for another reason, too: to find out where I fit into his life. When I see him talking on the phone, I sit on the kitchen chair, waiting.
Ron hands me the phone. "It's your mom. I called her."
"We need to talk, okay," I say to Ron before taking the phone out of his hand.
I watch as he nods, puts his hands in his pockets, and walks outside.
I put the receiver to my ear. "Hello?"
"Amy, are you okay? Ron just told me you want to come home."
124
"I did, but not anymore."
"You've changed your mind?"
"I guess," I say.
I hear her getting out of bed and closing a door. I bet she's
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