Elisabeth and the Unwanted Advice

Elisabeth and the Unwanted Advice — page 3 — Yep Mima said nudging her glasses into place and peering intently at her pieces A felony I think I say let’s live dangerously and start the puzzle from the middle Elisabeth said propping her elbows on the table and resting her chin in her hands Let’s not and say we did Mima murmured still adding border pieces to the pile Mima adored puzzles crosswords jigsaws jumbles anything that fueled her sharp mind and busied her fidgety fingers Puzzles reading piano-playing and knitting if you wandered into her home before bedtime it’s a good bet she’d be busy with one of these activities even if the television was on at the same time Her granddaughter joined in from time to time Mima’s influence was bound to rub off considering Elisabeth had spent weekday

Elisabeth and the Unwanted Advice — page 4 — afternoons at her house for as long as she could remember But she definitely preferred hitting kicking smashing or throwing a ball to anything she could do inside Funny that she and her grandma shared the same first name just about the only thing they had in common was their bright blue eyes Oh and their wicked sense of humor They loved trying to one-up each other’s remarks at least when Mima wasn’t busy plucking border pieces out of a dusty jigsaw puzzle box But that was okay used jigsaw puzzles sold surprisingly well at yard sales where Mima would let Elisabeth collect half the proceeds if she helped set up Speaking of which Hey Mima are you sure it isn’t time for another yard sale Elisabeth asked trying to be casual Mima looked at her quizzically

Elisabeth and the Unwanted Advice — page 5 — We just had one two months ago Oh right Elisabeth sighed Money or rather the money she wished she had was a major preoccupation these days She’d recently begged her parents for a pair of ice skates not realizing she’d lose interest two lessons later Now she’d decided tennis was her true passion especially after eighth-grade cutie Lance asked her if she was trying out for the team Who knew the game was so pricey what with titanium rackets and flouncy tennis skirts and balls that had to be replaced regularly Being boy-crazy was so not like her Elisabeth had always preferred gym shorts to dresses cleats to heels and the sporty smell of basketball sweat to the floral scents of her friend Brooke’s favorite perfume And she’d barely even noticed Lance with his dark curls and

Elisabeth and the Unwanted Advice — page 6 — dimples until he’d asked her about joining the tennis team The effect was like a lightning bolt Suddenly he wasn’t just a cute guy with dimples he was boyfriend potential Not that she could date regulary until she was sixteen but could he be a potential partner for next month’s Spring Fling A guy to exchange notes with during homeroom An In-a-Relationship contender for her Facebook page Just a few months earlier such thoughts would have seemed as appealing as one of Mima’s jigsaw puzzles But now Her mom kept telling her she was growing up Maybe it was true

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