Evvie at Sixteen (7 page)

“I don't,” Evvie said. “But you could teach me. Or I could read while you sewed.”

“Very well,” Grace said. “Go, have your pizza. Be back here in one hour. And don't let romance cloud your thoughts. You both know I could never allow it. Now go.”

“Thank you, Aunt Grace,” Evvie said. She bent over to kiss her aunt good-bye, but Grace waved her away. Evvie smiled, and left the room as fast as dignity allowed. Sam walked out just a bit faster than that.

“Let's get out of here,” he muttered. “We only have an hour.”

Evvie skipped down the stairs and rushed to Sam's car. Sam ran beside her, hopped in, and drove the few miles to the pizza place. Evvie was pleased to see it was at a little mall, complete with supermarket, pharmacy, and gas station.

“So this is where the natives live,” she said.

“It's where we shop,” Sam said. “I'm famished. Terror always makes me hungry.”

“I've been hungry since yesterday,” Evvie said. “Do you mind treating? My finances are a little weird right now.”

“No problem,” Sam said. “Next time it's on you.”

“You're on,” Evvie said. They walked up to the counter, placed their order for pizza slices and Coke, and then took the paper plates and cups and found an empty table. “I left in a hurry yesterday and all Nicky gave me was a hundred dollar bill.”

“Nicky?” Sam asked, taking a bite of his pizza.

“My father,” Evvie said. “And my mother is called Megs. We call them ‘untraditional names' according to Aunt Grace. Megs is Grace's niece.”

“Lucky Megs,” Sam said. “So they shipped you up here for the summer as punishment for calling them Nicky and Megs?”

“No punishment,” Evvie said. “Just to be helpful.”

“Good luck,” Sam said. “Do you think you'll last that long?”

“I'll try,” Evvie said. “Do you spend all your summers here?”

Sam nodded.

“Good pizza,” Evvie said. “I don't believe how hungry I am. Could you hand me a napkin?”

Sam did. “Do your parents stay here, too?” she asked as she wiped her mouth. “In the summers, I mean.”

Sam shook his head. “I live with my grandparents year-round,” he said. “During the school year, I live with my mother's parents, the Greenes. In the summers, I live here, with my father's parents, the Steinmetzes.”

“Oh,” Evvie said. “Do you mind?”

“It's okay,” Sam said. “I don't remember any other way. And they all love me, that I know. You have tomato sauce on your chin.”

Evvie wiped accordingly. “My mother's an orphan,” she said. “That's why she lived with Aunt Grace. My father's one, too. He's been one since he was sixteen.”

“You outnumber me in parents, then,” Sam said. “But I have a big advantage in grandparents.”

“I used to want grandparents,” Evvie said. “You know, the traditional kind. Especially around the holidays. Kids I knew were always going off to visit their grandparents at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I always felt deprived.”

“That must have been rough,” Sam said.

“I'm sorry,” Evvie said. “You must have wished for parents a lot harder than I ever wished for grandparents.”

“No,” Sam said, and he smiled. “It was just a given. I lived with my grandparents. I'm not big on wishing for things I can't have.”

“Nicky wishes for everything,” Evvie declared. “And he gets what he wishes for about half the time. Thea, that's my sister, she wishes for things all the time, too, but her winning percentage isn't nearly that high.”

“What I really wish for is another slice of pizza,” Sam declared. “Could I interest you in one?”

“Please,” Evvie said. She watched as Sam walked back to the counter, then returned with two new slices.

“So you have parents named Nicky and Megs and a sister named Thea,” Sam said, after handing Evvie her slice. “And of course, there's Aunt Grace. Does that complete your family?”

“No,” Evvie said. “I'm the oldest of four sisters, Thea, Claire, and Sybil.”

“Oh,” Sam said. “Your initials spell etceteras. Did you know that?”

“You're not the first person to point that out,” Evvie said. Sam looked disappointed. “But you did it faster than almost everybody else,” she continued. “How about you? Any brothers or sisters?”

“Just me,” Sam said. “Things are complicated enough without siblings.”

“Complicated in what way?” Evvie asked.

“Is Evvie short for something?” Sam asked instead. “Are you really an Evelyn in disguise?”

“That's complicated, too,” Evvie declared. “My name was just about the only thing my parents ever disagreed about. Megs wanted to call me Evann, which would have been short for Eventually, because it took them forever to get married, and then even longer before they began having children. Only Nicky wanted to call me Eve, because I was a fresh start. So they ended up with Evvie.”

“Do you like it?” Sam asked.

“It's okay,” Evvie said. “When I'm old enough, I think I'll switch to Eve. When I'm ready to handle it. So what's so complicated about your life?”

“What isn't,” Sam said. “Take names. I have a batch of them, too.”

“How many?” Evvie asked. “I'd hate to think we weren't properly introduced.”

“It depends which grandparents I'm with,” Sam said. “During the summers, I'm Sam Steinmetz. During the school year, I'm Sam Greene. No, that isn't right, either. I'm Sammy Greene. They call me Sammy there.”

“And here they call you Sam,” Evvie said. “What are the other complications?”

“That isn't complicated enough for you?” Sam asked.

“Are you kidding,” Evvie said. “Nicky calls Megs Daisy. All her friends call her Meg. And Aunt Grace insists on calling her Margaret. And we're the only ones who call him Nicky. Everybody else calls him Nick, except for Megs. She calls him Nicholas. Sammy Sam doesn't scare me at all.”

“All right, Evvie Eve,” Sam said. “Are you ready for ice cream?”

“I'm always ready for ice cream,” Evvie replied. They picked up their plates and cups and threw them out as they left. Then they walked the block to the ice cream stand, stood on line, and placed their orders.

“We were discussing complications,” Evvie declared as they sat under a tree to eat their cones. “What other ones are there besides your names?”

“They're not bad complications,” Sam said. “Look, I'm lucky, and I know it. I could have gotten lost years ago, thrown out with the garbage. Instead I'm surrounded by people who love me. I'm not a fool. I know how bad things could have been.”

“All right,” Evvie said. “It must be complicated, though, living with two sets of grandparents. Are you two different people?”

“That's a funny question,” Sam said. “Why? Should I be?”

Evvie shook her head. “My family moves around a lot,” she replied. “It's hard to explain. Nicky's sort of a wheeler-dealer. When his deals work out, we go up in the world, move to a better place, live really well. When his deals fall through, then we move to someplace not so nice and stay there until he can get another deal going. But no matter where we are, he's always the same person.”

“Are you?” Sam asked. “From place to place?”

“I think so,” Evvie said. “Yes, I am. Are you?”

Sam took a bite out of his cone. “I'm not certain,” he said. “But no, I'm probably different people there and here. Different name, different person.”

“I like Sam Steinmetz,” Evvie said. “What's Sammy Greene like?”

“That's the funny thing,” Sam replied. “Everyone likes Sammy. I'm really a very successful person back there.”

“Back there,” Evvie said. “Or back home?”

“You live in two separate places, have two separate lives, you don't really have a home,” Sam replied. He got up, and threw out the remains of his ice cream. “Things are too divided. My grandparents can't stand each other. This nine months there, three months here is a custody arrangement. Neither set wants me to be too much like the other, so when I'm with the Greenes, I have to be just like them, and when I'm with the Steinmetzes, I have to be just like them. Sometimes I get very bad headaches.”

“But you do it,” Evvie said. “You play your parts.”

“I don't have many options,” Sam replied. “You know, I've told you more about me than I've ever told anybody else before. Why is that?”

“You told Aunt Grace we were going to be married,” Evvie said. “I have a right to know all about you.”

“I had to tell her something,” Sam said. “I didn't hear you accept my proposal.”

“I'm not about to,” Evvie said. “My parents fell in love the minute they laid eyes on each other, and by that night, they knew they were going to be married. Megs was sixteen then, just like me.”

“I didn't realize I'd stumbled into a family tradition,” Sam said.

“It's theirs, not mine,” Evvie replied. “I may get married someday, but if I do, it won't be because of love at first sight. Romance is all well and good, but not for me, thank you.”

“You're welcome,” Sam said. “Now you have ice cream on your chin.”

Evvie wiped it off.

“Good,” Sam said. He bent over and kissed her.

“Does this mean we're engaged?” Evvie asked.

“Let's not rush into anything,” Sam said.” Besides, we should be getting back before Miss Winslow sends the bloodhounds after us.”

“You're right,” Evvie said with a sigh. She got up, brushed herself off and, standing on tiptoe, kissed Sam.

“Evvie,” he said. “This is probably a major mistake.”

“I'm just trying to see how my mother did it,” Evvie declared. “Love at first sight, I mean.”

“I don't love easily,” Sam said. “In my entire life, I've only loved my grandparents and my dog, Lucky. And Mrs. Weinstein. She was my first-grade teacher.”

“Did they all love you back?” Evvie asked, as she began walking toward Sam's car.

“Lucky sure did,” Sam said. “Evvie, I want to keep seeing you, but your aunt isn't going to like it.”

“That's none of your concern,” Evvie said. “If I want to see you, then I'll see you. Just promise me you'll hold off on the proposals for a while. At least in front of Aunt Grace.”

“I don't want to get you in trouble,” Sam said.

“Oh, Sam,” Evvie said, and then she smiled at him. “This whole summer is trouble. So we might as well relax, and enjoy it.”

C
HAPTER
S
IX

I'm going to Clark's now, Aunt Grace,” Evvie said. “Is there anything you want before I leave?”

“Yes, hand me my reading glasses,” Aunt Grace replied.

Evvie stifled a sigh. The glasses were ten inches away from Grace. There was no need for Evvie to have to enter the room, walk over to the nightstand, and hand the glasses over. But she did. “Here,” she said. “Don't read any more in our mystery before I get back. It's not fair if you have a head start.”

“I'll read whatever I want to read,” Aunt Grace said.

“All right,” Evvie replied. “That's your privilege.”

“How long will you be at Clark's?” Aunt Grace asked.

“Just for lunch,” Evvie said. “He invited me so I can meet his cousins. The ones who are spending the summer at his place.”

“Bradford's boys,” Aunt Grace said. “Bradford Hughes was a wild one. There was a drunk-driving incident. He married out.”

“What do you mean?” Evvie asked.

“His wife comes from Syracuse or Wilmington or some such place,” Aunt Grace replied. “She isn't a Bostonian.”

“Fresh blood,” Evvie said. “Too much inbreeding can be dangerous.”

“So can too much back-talking,” Grace said as she wiggled into a sitting position. “I suppose you approve of people from Syracuse.”

Evvie laughed. “It's an accident of birth, Aunt Grace,” she said. “I'm sure Mrs. Hughes would prefer to have been born a Bostonian.”

“All proper-thinking people would,” Aunt Grace declared. “Not enough room, though. City couldn't hold all of them.”

“So it's a good thing Syracuse and Wilmington exist,” Evvie said. “To hold the surplus proper-thinking people.”

“Make your foolish jokes,” Aunt Grace said with a wave of her hand. “What do you know? You never lived in Boston a day in your life.”

It was hard to argue with that. Nicky claimed often that his vision of hell was Beacon Hill with every house occupied by an Aunt Grace clone. “I'm off,” Evvie said. “I'll give your regards to Mr. Hughes.”

“Mr. Hughes was the boy's father,” Aunt Grace said. “No, his grandfather. His father was Tom Hughes. We went out a few times, but there was no magic.”

Evvie stared at her great-aunt. It was close to impossible to picture her on a date, and even harder to think of her in a magical relationship. Moved by the thought, she bent down, gave Grace a kiss good-bye, and started to leave the room.

“You kiss too easily,” Grace called out after her. “It'll get you in trouble one fine day.”

Evvie grinned and skipped down the hallway. For once Aunt Grace had a point, but Evvie didn't care. She enjoyed the memory of kissing Sam.

Not that she'd heard from him since their lunch, two days before. When he'd driven her back to Grace's they'd been five minutes late, and neither one of them had cared to linger over farewells. Evvie knew Grace scared Sam, but she didn't think Sam would be scared off forever. So it was just a question of time before she saw him again. And she could wait. The summer promised to be endless, so time would be no problem.

“I'm going now, Mrs. Baker,” Evvie called through the kitchen door. “See you later.”