formulaic tone to their voices as if this were just an automatic response instead of a warm welcome.
Gracie noticed that her aunt was wearing her usual "dressy" outfit. A pair of Capri's and gaudy matching top that would've looked cheap when new, and was now stretched, frayed, and faintly stained.
"Get up boy, and lemme sit down," Jeanine said. "My back's acting up again, hurts like a son of a bitch, I need to sit a spell."
Clarke dutifully stood up and helped his aunt sit down. She dropped heavily into the chair like the proverbial ton of bricks. "I think I'll go for a quick swim," he said. "Zoo Time has left the pool, and we'll be eating soon." Clarke walked away, headed for the changing room behind their small conversation area.
"Zoo Time?" Jeanine asked. "What the hell is he talking about now?"
Gracie laughed merrily. "It's Justin and his friend Zack, Aunt Jeanine," she said. Justin's buddies call him 'Time', as in 'just in time.' Zack's last name is Owens, which makes his initials 'Z.O.', so they call him 'Zoo'. It's appropriate, don't you think? I mean, they act like animals."
"They act like little asses, if you ask me," Jeanine replied. "Don't just sit there, girl," she said to Gracie. "Go get me a drink - and make it a double!"
Clarissa quickly said, "I'll get it." As she got up she saw Gracie stick her tongue out at her.
"Sorry kiddo,"
she thought.
"I'm not about to sit here and listen to her whine."
Gracie was stuck for quite awhile, listening to a catalogue of ailments, cases of bad luck, and a detailed list of people who'd deliberately done her aunt wrong.
CHAPTER 3
After delivering Jeanine's drink Clarissa decided to pay her respects to the hostess. She didn't
like
Jennifer, but she saw no reason not to be polite. She supposed she ought to resent the fact that Jennifer was now Queen of the Castle in the house she'd formerly lived in, but Jennifer could have it as far as she was concerned. She was far happier without the big house.
Jennifer was at the big table, looking for something low-cal to snack on. She was a twenty-six year old bottled blonde, obsessively vain about her appearance. She had a good figure and dressed to accentuate it, though she somehow managed to make even expensive clothes look tawdry. Gracie had been right not to accept the bet about the low-cut blouse.
Jennifer's good friend Cindy Stone was with her; she was stuffing down some cookies. Cindy was twenty-two, maybe. She was the complete opposite of Jennifer; a quiet, slightly chubby, plain girl who seemed to have no self-esteem but who had a natural and honest quality about her. Not for the first time Clarissa wondered how that friendship worked. What did they talk about together?
"Hello, Jennifer," she said. "And Cindy, good to see you both. It's a lovely day, isn't it?"
Cindy brightened at being noticed. "Hi, Clarissa! How are you? That's a really pretty blouse you're wearing."
Jennifer deliberately chose a piece of stuffed celery and took a bite before answering. "Hello," she said as she crunched noisily. "It's so hot out here, I don't know why we couldn't, like, have the party inside. I'm getting all sweaty, yuck."
"Thanks, Cindy," Clarissa responded. Then to Jennifer, "You
know
Charles likes his outdoor parties. He thinks he's the Grill King. You've
both
done a very nice job, the food looks delicious." Clarissa selected a canapé, something indefinable on a cracker, and nibbled it delicately.
"Well, I guess I could always go swimming to cool off," Jennifer said. "Hey, can I ask you something?"
Privately Clarissa thought she'd prefer that Jennifer should suddenly develop a headache and go inside to lie down than to show off by the pool. But she simply said, "Sure."
Jennifer moved a little closer as if to say 'this is just between us girls.' "Do you always have to bring your boyfriend when you come here? I mean, it upsets Charles. You know, to see you with him. And, I mean, it's not like you two are
married
or
Gracie noticed that her aunt was wearing her usual "dressy" outfit. A pair of Capri's and gaudy matching top that would've looked cheap when new, and was now stretched, frayed, and faintly stained.
"Get up boy, and lemme sit down," Jeanine said. "My back's acting up again, hurts like a son of a bitch, I need to sit a spell."
Clarke dutifully stood up and helped his aunt sit down. She dropped heavily into the chair like the proverbial ton of bricks. "I think I'll go for a quick swim," he said. "Zoo Time has left the pool, and we'll be eating soon." Clarke walked away, headed for the changing room behind their small conversation area.
"Zoo Time?" Jeanine asked. "What the hell is he talking about now?"
Gracie laughed merrily. "It's Justin and his friend Zack, Aunt Jeanine," she said. Justin's buddies call him 'Time', as in 'just in time.' Zack's last name is Owens, which makes his initials 'Z.O.', so they call him 'Zoo'. It's appropriate, don't you think? I mean, they act like animals."
"They act like little asses, if you ask me," Jeanine replied. "Don't just sit there, girl," she said to Gracie. "Go get me a drink - and make it a double!"
Clarissa quickly said, "I'll get it." As she got up she saw Gracie stick her tongue out at her.
"Sorry kiddo,"
she thought.
"I'm not about to sit here and listen to her whine."
Gracie was stuck for quite awhile, listening to a catalogue of ailments, cases of bad luck, and a detailed list of people who'd deliberately done her aunt wrong.
CHAPTER 3
After delivering Jeanine's drink Clarissa decided to pay her respects to the hostess. She didn't
like
Jennifer, but she saw no reason not to be polite. She supposed she ought to resent the fact that Jennifer was now Queen of the Castle in the house she'd formerly lived in, but Jennifer could have it as far as she was concerned. She was far happier without the big house.
Jennifer was at the big table, looking for something low-cal to snack on. She was a twenty-six year old bottled blonde, obsessively vain about her appearance. She had a good figure and dressed to accentuate it, though she somehow managed to make even expensive clothes look tawdry. Gracie had been right not to accept the bet about the low-cut blouse.
Jennifer's good friend Cindy Stone was with her; she was stuffing down some cookies. Cindy was twenty-two, maybe. She was the complete opposite of Jennifer; a quiet, slightly chubby, plain girl who seemed to have no self-esteem but who had a natural and honest quality about her. Not for the first time Clarissa wondered how that friendship worked. What did they talk about together?
"Hello, Jennifer," she said. "And Cindy, good to see you both. It's a lovely day, isn't it?"
Cindy brightened at being noticed. "Hi, Clarissa! How are you? That's a really pretty blouse you're wearing."
Jennifer deliberately chose a piece of stuffed celery and took a bite before answering. "Hello," she said as she crunched noisily. "It's so hot out here, I don't know why we couldn't, like, have the party inside. I'm getting all sweaty, yuck."
"Thanks, Cindy," Clarissa responded. Then to Jennifer, "You
know
Charles likes his outdoor parties. He thinks he's the Grill King. You've
both
done a very nice job, the food looks delicious." Clarissa selected a canapé, something indefinable on a cracker, and nibbled it delicately.
"Well, I guess I could always go swimming to cool off," Jennifer said. "Hey, can I ask you something?"
Privately Clarissa thought she'd prefer that Jennifer should suddenly develop a headache and go inside to lie down than to show off by the pool. But she simply said, "Sure."
Jennifer moved a little closer as if to say 'this is just between us girls.' "Do you always have to bring your boyfriend when you come here? I mean, it upsets Charles. You know, to see you with him. And, I mean, it's not like you two are
married
or
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